A Study of Depravity
by demonsshade
Summary: There are no heroes. There are only survivors. A novel dedicated to Laughing Coffin's legacy. Kirito/Argo.
1. Prologue

**Prologue – ****Fui Quod Sis**

**Yuuki – Floor 1 – November 20, 2023 – 8:32**

The off-sync collection of clearers moved through Starting City easily, brushing aside non-players and NPCs alike. Their movements were confident and self-assured, a rare sight on the first floor. Though their mismatched guild colors gave them away as an assortment of various different allegiances, they were united under one purpose.

A thin young man trailed them, struggling to get them to turn back. His assistant, a young woman with white hair and a stern expression, followed them as well. The rest of their group was silent, intent on the mission ahead of them. Yuuki had traded a few friendly jabs with Klein earlier, but ever since arriving on the first floor, Klein had stopped being particularly jovial.

"Klein, while I appreciate the clearers' interest in maintaining order here in Starting City, this is out of Heathcliff's jurisdiction," The frail young journalist followed behind them, talking quickly and with more than a subtle amount of weary inflection, "Even if your concerns were valid, the Army would be the ones to take care of it. The «KoB»–"

"Do I look like I'm part of the «KoB», Thinker?" Klein spun around, gesturing at his red and brown samurai-esque armor, "I'm the leader of the «Fuurinkazan»."

"The what?" Thinker tilted his head to the side. Yuuki chuckled at that, earning an annoyed side-glance from Klein. She smiled back at him, feigning innocence.

"This operation is a joint venture from many of the clearing guilds, including my own," Yuuki added, flicking a strand of purple hair away from her eyes, "Heathcliff isn't the only one who thinks there's something fishy going on here. Ran would be here personally if another urgent manner hadn't called her away."

Their group moved quickly through the streets of Starting City, powering through crowds of NPCs and non-players alike. The white-washed walls of the beginner's city met in stark contrast to the sun-struck orange rooftops. Many of the buildings were constructed of similar material; alabaster walls with tile roofs.

Yuuki looked along the streets as their small group moved through the city. There weren't nearly as many beggar non-players now, but she still occasionally saw the trademark ragged clothes and grimy hands as they passed some of the many small alleyways. How they managed to survive day after day without a roof over their heads was beyond her.

"This is ridiculous," Thinker continued, trailing their group, "I cannot–"

The white-haired woman accompanying him placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head gently. At that, Thinker calmed down and resigned himself. Klein remained fixated ahead, his hands clenched together and turning white. The rest of their group – two members of the «Divine Dragon Alliance» and a few from the «Sleeping Knights», among others – followed their temporary commander silently. There were over ten of them in all.

Klein was the only guild leader among the coalition force, thus he had been appointed the leader of the mission. The rest were lieutenants and seconds that were present to personally verify the disturbing information brought to their attention several days before.

"This the building?" Klein turned to one of the «DDA» members, who nodded quickly. It was a short and squat building, but long. Yuuki looked down an alleyway to see where it ended, but the alleyway turned off before that. A sign hung above the doorway, labelling it the «Midnight Rendezvous». An image of a scantily clad woman hung along with the sign as a logo.

"This is just a nightclub!" Thinker protested, but Yuuki shook her head.

"Then why is it open in the morning?"

Klein entered the door quickly, throwing it wide to allow the rest of them access. Inside the air was thick and heavy. Smoke billowed out through the door, having been accumulating along the ceiling. Several people who were sitting around smoking virtual cigars and cigarettes were standing now, their faces a mixture of confusion and panic. The man behind the bar opened his hands and walked over.

He was thin and tall with thick glasses over dull eyes. He eyed Klein curiously and with an odd expression. Yuuki examined him, focusing on his glazed expression and disinterested demeanor. For a nightclub, this place didn't really have a lot of room. Yuuki looked at the far wall, which was much, much shorter than the outside seemed to imply.

_That's really odd._

"Are you the owner of this establishment?" Klein folded his arms, staring at the man with a cold look. Yuuki felt herself shiver unconsciously. Klein was difficult to rile up, but he was scary when mad.

"No, I am simply a manager here," The man smiled, his lips taut and disingenuous with the effort, "What do you and your friends need?"

"We'd like to search the premises," Klein looked around the room, "We've received reports of suspicious and hazardous activity going on here that we'd like to check out."

"Klein!" Thinker snapped, storming up between the two men, "You can't just barge into a commercial property and demand to investigate it! That's a violation of privacy!"

"Well, I guess it's too bad there's no laws," Klein shrugged, motioning the rest of the group to start their search. Yuuki joined in, checking behind pillows and furniture. The others were examining the candle sconces and throwing around the couple of books stacked in bookshelves.

_There has to be a switch somewhere._

Klein and Thinker's argument was becoming heated. The twig-like young journalist was nearly yelling now about rights and the preservation of private property and whatnot. Yuuki tuned it all out. When she finally found it, she let out a surprised little squeak.

"I found it! I found it!" She called, keeping her voice light and merry.

The switch itself was unornamented, hidden behind rows of pint glasses underneath the bar counter. It was just a small wooden button built into the counter. The thin manager stared at Yuuki impassively as she stood.

"They didn't do a good job hiding it," Yuuki pouted.

"Would a legal business have a secret switch?" Klein grinned at Thinker, but the leader of the «Army» was unconvinced.

"There are plenty of legitimate–"

Yuuki pressed the button and the immediate roar of music cut him off. It was bass-heavy and primal, each excruciatingly loud beat drumming into Yuuki's ear unpleasantly. The wall behind the counter clicked, sliding back and over slowly. Yuuki backed away from it, feeling a sick sense of horror as she looked into the secret room.

Her suspicions about the building having a fake back wall were more than correct. The secret room's length was easily twice again the length of the front. Even heavier smoke lined the top of this new room and there were numerous couches laid out. Atop raised platforms, topless women in black thongs pole-danced to the pleasure of more than ten men. They wore business suits or guild uniforms, their attention wholly fixed on the dancing women. To the side, she saw one dancer leading a man with many rings on his fingers into a side room.

"Break it up!" Klein shouted, storming into the room. The music came to an abrupt halt and everyone paused, looking back at the leader of the «Fuurinkazan» as he looked over the room, "Everyone stay calm. You're all under arrest for suspicion of hiring non-players as prostitutes. I-"

Before he could say another word, the room erupted into chaos.

Two of the men across the room went for a back door, but Yuuki was faster. She jumped, clearing the thirty feet in a single bound, propelled by a near-maxed «Acrobatics» skill. In the short time before she landed between the men and the door, her longsword was already bare, pushing the people back.

"Y-You can't hurt us here!" One stumbled backwards, falling over a chair while the other pointed in fear, "We're in a safe zone!"

"You're wrong," Yuuki grinned, "I can't _kill _you here, but I guarantee you'll feel the touch of my blade if you don't come along with us."

"We'll call the guards!"

"So what?" Yuuki shrugged, "First floor NPCs are weak. If we go orange for a few days from killing them, it's no big deal. Don't make this harder for yourself."

Behind them both, Yuuki saw Thinker staring in shock at two players near the stage. Klein was helping a woman off the stage, giving her his jacket to cover herself. The two men were «Army» officials, judging by their messy white and black uniforms. The soaring dove, the symbol of the «Aincrad Liberation Force» that was emblazoned on their coats, was folded and discarded on the floor.

"And now I know why I hadn't heard of this," Thinker said, shaking his head at the two men, "I had thought the rumors were baseless. Non-players selling their bodies for food and comfort? Preposterous. But now…" Thinker looked over at the rest of the clearers' storming into the building, accosting the customers and giving clothes to the women, "Who is the ringleader?"

"With all due respect, sir," The «Army» official's head was bowed, his face flushed with shame, "I don't know. We're simply customers."

Klein turned back to the thin man who had manned the front, now detained in the arms of a clearer from the «DDA». The young leader of the «Fuurinkazan» was pissed as far as Yuuki could tell. He stomped heavily over to the thin man, grabbing the front of his shirt.

"Who owns this place?" Klein demanded, "Who is running this?"

"I believe the owner of this building is listed in the «Public Registry» for anyone to see," The thin man replied sharply, his lips a thin smirk.

"We already checked that," Klein growled, "The owner died three months ago under mysterious circumstances. Who is the real owner?"

"In light of that discovery," Thinker began, folding his arms, "This property will be re-appropriated by the Army, searched thoroughly and then sold for the «Army's» profit. All of you," He gestured at the men detained by the clearers, "Are to be thrown into the dungeons of the «Black Iron Palace» until a proper punishment is determined."

Yuuki leaned against the door as two clearers came to grab the men she was threatening. The young woman let out a sigh and sheathed her sword at her belt. A man was dragged from a nearby room, his pants around his ankles. He was kicking and screaming, demanding to be let go. He was _important_, he kept screeching. Yuuki turned away, struggling to hold back her nausea.

A corridor crystal was soon set up and Thinker helped drag a few people through himself. At least he was cooperative when confronted with proof. Klein motioned for the rest of the clearers to go on ahead, and soon everyone was gone. Now alone together, Klein collapsed onto one of the nearby plush sofas.

"Careful," Yuuki grinned as she walked up, though the gesture felt a bit hollow, "You don't know what's happened on that."

Klein stood quickly, brushing himself off with more than a lit bit of disgusted flair. He turned towards Yuuki, his mouth half-open as if he was about to respond with some sarcastic quip. Instead, he gave up, turning back towards the entrance to the establishment.

"You know, Yuuki," Klein sighed, his hand brushing the front desk as Yuuki caught up to him, "Sometimes I just get so tired."

He leaned against the counter. Yuuki examined him for a moment; young and lanky, a college student in every facet of his appearance. His slightly pock-marked face shown he had grown past the age of acne by a few years. He was thin – thinner than his «Light Metal Armor» would imply, anyway. Underfed, probably. With a stronger jaw or a more muscular frame, he would have had a hard time pulling women off of him.

"I get the feeling this isn't the last we've heard of businesses like this," Yuuki cringed, thinking of the women dancing naked for the «Army» officials, "One brothel implies many brothels. When I signed up for a virtual world, I never realized it would get so _real_."

"The ringleader is likely pulling in a ridiculous amount of money," Klein shook his head, "How much you wanna bet it's a non-player running this place? Those bastards got greedy when «Starting City» fell into crisis."

"When was it not in crisis?" Yuuki sighed, "In a way, Thinker is right about us. What right do we have to come down here and enforce order?"

"If Thinker was doing his job…" Klein started, but trailed off, "It doesn't really matter what he does. The entire situation is a mess."

"Cheer up," Yuuki smiled, punching him lightly in the shoulder, "I'll take you out somewhere to do something happy when we get back."

"I just… I feel guilty still, sometimes," Klein bit his lip, "While you and I were off helping clear the second floor and having the time of our lives, this city was falling apart. How many people died while we were running quests and killing monsters?"

She remembered it well. Starting City had been host to a number of harmless, repeatable quests. They were low-paying and easy, usually just deliveries from one spot in the city to another. However, they were all tied-in to the war against the kobolds, which formed the main quest for the floor. When «Illfang the Kobold Lord» was slain, suddenly the income source the non-players relied upon dried up. The city descended into chaos. As many as 2000 of the original 4000 non-players wound up leaving the city in a massive exodus, finally being forced into being players. The rest, well…

"Klein…" Yuuki looked down at the ground, "I'm sure things will get better."

"Lots of clearers have died too," Klein shook his head, "Even if we were having fun back then, the non-players have it easy. I can't have sympathy for them. Once they figured out how to run businesses and employ people, their crisis ended. Ours never will."

"You're gonna become a misanthrope at this rate," Yuuki jumped up on the bar counter next to him, swinging her legs. It was childish, but she didn't care.

"Are you sure you're seventeen?" Klein smiled at her. It was a brief and tenuous thing, but it was a good sign. Even with that, his eyes were sunken and there were large bags under his eyes.

"Maybe not at heart."

He'd been this way since the last Strategy Meeting between the leaders of the clearing guilds, when it was decided that Klein would lead the raid to bust the prostitution house and force Thinker into action. Worry gnawed at Yuuki.

"Are you going to be okay?" She asked, her heart heavy. It wasn't as if the bust didn't affect her, but Klein was more soft-hearted than he let on. With every day that passed, she felt it was more likely he was going to break from the stress of being a clearer.

"Yeah." It was a simple response, but that only made it hurt more.

The two exited the brothel and Yuuki had to shade her eyes from the sudden brightness of the outside world. The streets were clean and bright. Nearby, a young non-player swept the floor of a café, humming softly to herself. A couple people wandered by, but this far from the town center made that a bit of a rare occurrence. Most of the passersby were NPCs.

It was a long walk back to the «Black Iron Palace». Though Yuuki was more than certain it was unnecessary, Klein was determined to ensure that the criminals had been locked up in the dungeons properly. Thinker let them in to the dungeons without any hassle, showing them to the cells without a single complaint. Their equipment and inventories had been stripped to be held in storage until judgment could be passed.

The judiciary system was still being worked on, but it was a step forward. With more time, it might even be possible to have properly established laws. Though her heart was heavy, Yuuki kept a smile on her face when she finally exited back out into the courtyard with Klein.

"Guess we should get back," Klein shrugged, "Heathcliff is undoubtedly waiting with open arms to hear a glowing report of our triumphant success. Or he'll probably just nod his head and say 'good job'."

"Yup! Sounds like him," Yuuki grinned at Klein, "And we've got monsters to slay and quests to get on with anyway."

Klein looked up at the sky, his face a mask Yuuki couldn't quite work out.

"I just hope today is the last we hear of this," He shook his head, "But somehow I don't think it is."

* * *

**Kirito – Floor 46 – November 20, 2023 – 2:21 **

His blade bit into the neck of the «Giant Soldier Ant». The massive insect reared back, two of its six legs flailing in the air. A quick slash along its stomach cracked open its exoskeleton, spraying acidic entrails over the clay floor. The ant's health dipped into the red as Kirito dodge backwards to evade its massive pincers.

He spun, slicing off one pincer and using the opening to move in close. He punched the longsword into a groove along the ant's neck, pushing his weapon through. In one swift motion, he pulled the blade out and stabbed again.

Its health finally depleted, the «Giant Soldier Ant» collapsed. Its body spasmed heavily once before the thing died. Kirito fell to his knees, breathing hard and fast. Relief ran through him, the pleasant catharsis of victory.

The «Ant Hill» was the top-tier dungeon for this floor, an optional yet powerful area that was home to numerous insectoid monsters. Even through the top floor was the floor above, clearers still came down here often to train. Earlier in the day, he thought he saw a few members of the «Sleeping Knights» fighting as a group to take down one of the «Drone Lords». They were powerful sub-bosses that Kirito couldn't hope to fight alone, though they sometimes dropped rare weapons and armor.

One day he'd be able to kill them. All that mattered was that he got stronger.

Kirito struggled to his feet and opened the pack at his belt. Inside were several potions and herbs, ready and waiting in case he didn't have time to access his menu. A precious health crystal lay at the bottom, the instant health boost a last resort option in case he desperately needed it. The thing was pricey, so he'd rather not use it unless he absolutely had to.

He drank a potion and watched as his health began to regenerate more quickly. There were other ways to regenerate health after a fight, like the passive skill «Battle Healing». While it was certainly a useful skill, it was a dangerous skill to level.

Kirito looked around the clay tunnel as he checked carefully for more monsters. He could see even though the tunnel had barely any light due to his «Night Vision» skill, but even that wasn't perfect. It was easy to get ambushed and he wasn't willing to let that happen.

The «Ant Hill» was basically a massive version of the real-life thing. It was a tall mound stuck in the middle of the vast badlands that dominated this floor. Many players had been drawn to the thing when the floor was first cleared, only to find out how dangerous the dungeon really was. It wasn't until several floors later that people began to train here.

Tunnels snaked throughout the entire structure, forming a maze that supposedly led down to a wide chamber in the depths below. The «Queen Ant» was said to lurk there, waiting for a raid group powerful enough to take her down. There had been talk among the clearers for a while now about putting together a group to kill the raid boss, but nothing had yet been done.

Kirito wiped sweat from his brow as he kneeled in front of the «Giant Soldier Ant» corpse, activating his «Harvesting» skill. A menu popped up in front of him, indicating that stripping the corpse was successful. The items he obtained weren't particularly interesting: an extra «Ant Chitin Piece» and an «Ant Pincer». They might fetch a bit of Col back in town.

Sounds of fighting from down the hall distracted him. They were coming from further in, down the dank black passageway the stretched out before him. It was going to be a long day of farming, so it might have been best to head back to safer areas, but the sound intrigued him nonetheless. Kirito raced down the tunnel, wishing his «Acrobatics» skill was a little bit higher level so that he could run faster.

The tunnel eventually gave way to a wide, low chamber. He stood on a ridge about thirty feet above the main chamber. There were small grooves in the wall to allow him to crawl down, but he ignored them as he focused on the unfolding spectacle below.

An injured «Drone Lord» was pressed against the wall by several players dressed in green and white armor. «Sleeping Knights», by the look of them. Their leader was a flame-haired boy who was busy yelling at what looked to be newcomers outfitted in platinum and blue colors. The «Divine Dragon Alliance».

"This is our kill, Lind," The flame-haired boy shouted, brandishing his longsword, "Stop trying to steal it from us."

Kirito recognized Lind, one of the upper-level players in the «Divine Dragon Alliance». He had been a strong admirer of Diavel back on the first floor and was one of the first players to blame Kirito for the man's unfortunate fate. His disheveled brown hair fell over clear blue eyes. His handsome face was contorted into a sneer.

"This is one of the best kills you can get in the «Ant Hill»," Lind growled, "Who cares if we have to steal it to get the drops?"

"Get any closer, and I'll go orange."

"Oho, you're gonna kill me, _boy_?" Lind spat the words. Kirito cringed at that. The man was intentionally provoking the other players. This kind of behavior was specifically forbidden by the rest of the clearers, but it's not like there was anyone to enforce the tenuous rules of their alliances.

"I won't kill you," The kid grinned, "I'll just kick your ass and send you off with your tail between your legs."

"Jun, we can't hold this thing forever!" One of the «Sleeping Knights» engaged with the sub-boss shouted, a hint of desperation in his voice.

"Just a little while longer, Thatch," Jun called, "If its health drops too much, these assholes are just gonna rush in and try to get the «Last Attack» bonus."

Kirito ducked back into the tunnel, turning his back on the exchange. Things were getting tense and he wasn't about to get involved. He was a solo player and had no intention of sticking his nose in situations where it could get sawn off. Battles between clearing guilds were so far a rare occurrence, but they never ended well. The «Council» was founded to prevent that, but even so…

If he was going to get vengeance on Kayaba for Sachi's death, he needed to be alive.

If those two guilds started butting heads even more than they already were, the front-lines could become a warzone. Tensions were already high as the «Divine Dragon Alliance» was getting a reputation as a guild that didn't play fair, and the «Sleeping Knights» weren't exactly a group that rolled over when they were messed with. Their leader, a young woman who went by the username Ran, was known as a woman who was a powerful friend and a horrifying enemy.

It was nothing Kirito particularly wanted to wrap himself up in. He set off down the hallway, ignoring the growing tensions behind him. If they came to blows and the matter was called before the «Council», Kirito might be able to testify on the «Sleeping Knights'» behalf. That might not be a good idea. He didn't want to be in the sights of the «Divine Dragon Alliance».

_Sorry Jun. You're on your own._

Kirito began to relax. He was already a ways inside the tunnel and the monsters tended to spawn inside clearings. Luring single monsters into the tunnels to kill them was an easier way to handle the powerful monsters here, and Kirito held no illusions about being able to take on groups of enemies. Without being a two-handed weapon wielder or a potion master, crowd control was practically impossible.

A ringing in his menu distracted him, the sound a light chime in his ear. Kirito opened his messages window quickly, the white light from it shining over him. It was from Klein.

_'Hey Kirito. Just busted some criminal non-players for the «Council» in Starting City. You want to meet up when I'm back on the front? It's been ages since we formed a party. Let me know.'_

"God, it's a long walk back," Kirito moaned, closing his menu.

He considered Klein's offer, but he'd have to decide later. It wasn't likely to happen. He hadn't bathed in over a week and he'd been spending nearly every moment grinding levels or doing quests. He reeked to high heaven. Besides, what would he even say to Klein? Klein was outgoing and personable guy. He had loads and loads of friends. The guy was a natural leader. People were drawn to him and Kirito was no exception.

Kirito, on the other hand…

It was another few minutes before he emerged out of the wall. He was in the central spire now, walking along a thin bridge that would take him outside. The central cavern, where the majority of the monsters spawned, was far below him. It would be faster if he jumped down and walked towards one of the many tunnels out, but his «Acrobatics» skill wasn't nearly high enough for him to not sustain a lot of fall damage.

He was halfway across the bridge when he noticed something was wrong.

A woman stood at the far end, a crossbow in hand. She hadn't been there a moment before. Two daggers hung from her right waist within easy grasp. Dark leather armor clung to her body, revealing a slight frame. Long blonde hair fell around her shoulders, but the real thing that drew his eyes was her head.

It was covered in a skull-mask. Black cloth stretched over her face while bare and naked bone jutted out from the material. The bone was a pale off-white and looked like it was made from an actual skull. Kirito shuddered unconsciously. He'd never seen a mask like it.

"Sum quod eris; fui quod sis," Her voice was faint and pretty, but emotionless, "I am what you will be; I was what you are."

He noticed with a start that her cursor was orange. The woman leveled the crossbow at him.

Her first bolt was unexpected, but Kirito heard the whistle and ducked quickly. It cut through the air above his head, shearing off a couple strands of hair. His reaction was a lucky one and Kirito silently uttered thanks to whatever may have been watching over him. He considered turning back and running to the two fighting clans for help. If he turned and ran, the woman would likely shoot him in the back with her crossbow.

He had no choice.

Kirito charged, drawing his longsword from the sheath at his belt. The would-be PKer dropped the crossbow, drawing her two daggers and holding them out in front of her. It was a rarely-chosen style that «Sword Art Online» had emulated from the Filipino fighting style of «Eskrima». Kirito swore under his breath. He didn't have any experience fighting that particular skill set.

He swung his longsword heavily overhead, but the woman parried it easily. Kirito swore, stepping back and side-slashing. The woman merely danced out of the way, spinning easily. The bridge they were on was narrow and Kirito's footing was tenuous at best. All he could do is attack straight-on.

The blonde woman rushed him, one dagger in a reverse grip catching his blade. The other blade snaked in, but Kirito stepped back, narrowly avoiding it. Kirito retreated several paces, but the woman didn't relent. She slashed at him, moving so fast he had trouble tracking the movement of just one of her blades, let alone the second.

His heart was racing, the adrenaline rushing through his body.

PvP wasn't something Kirito had a lot of practice in. Using «Sword Skills» were virtually useless since the movements of the weapons were predictable and easily countered. Standard attacks were the only way to fight and Kirito could tell he wasn't holding up as well as he hoped.

He kept backtracking across the precariously narrow bridge. A quick glance down showed the numerous «Army Ant» mobs getting antsy below, tossing their heads and letting out screeching cries. Kirito parried another strike, but her second weapon kept dancing in around every stroke. His assailant hadn't landed a hit yet, but it was only a matter of time.

Kirito hazarded a step forward, striking low and hard with his longsword right after his attacker brought back her weapons. The surprising blow forced the woman back just a step – not what Kirito wanted – but she stumbled on the uneven ground. The assassin slid to her knees, one arm gripping the side of the bridge for support to prevent herself from sliding over.

His longsword held high, Kirito charged. He slashed downwards, but her dagger came up immediately for defense. He feinted, spinning on one foot and slashing at the arm supporting her. The woman pulled her legs up into a crouch and sprung backwards in one quick motion, but Kirito followed her movements. His weapon bit into her arm at the elbow, sawing through it effortlessly. A bright yellow triangular warning appeared above the injury as her arm went flying, indicating a «Limb Penalty». Kirito smiled with satisfaction.

Now on her feet, the woman held her one remaining arm in front of herself. Her dagger was held in front, her body bent over behind her to prevent Kirito from stabbing at her. He had the advantage of reach, but the woman was obviously skilled with the blade. Kirito hung back, struggling to think of a way out.

"It's this way!" Kirito heard behind him. He recognized the voice. The «Sleeping Knights»? "I swear I heard people fighting!"

Immediately the woman in front of him turned, rushing for the opposite end of the bridge. Kirito gave chase, his feet pounding into the clay after her. She reached the entrance at the far wall before him, grabbing her crossbow and considering the situation. Kirito paused as she looked around.

"You run into that tunnel and you'll get trapped," Kirito threatened, both of his hands gripped around his single longsword.

Without another word, the blonde woman leaped from the bridge. Kirito's blade followed her, struggling to attack as she tried to get away. In the split second before she fell, his blade sawed through the side of her mask, freeing it from her face.

He only saw her for a moment before she fell away into the pit of monsters below. She was young – much younger than he had expected and probably younger than Kirito was – and had sharp, elfish features. Kirito couldn't catch the color of her eyes, but they looked black in the dim light of «Ant Hill».

"Black," Kirito stumbled backwards, falling onto his behind.

His heartbeat drummed raw is his throat and in his ears. This was much more excitement than he needed in a day. Kirito shook himself and stood, brushing himself down just as the group of «Sleeping Knights» ran up to him. Kirito checked his cursor quickly. Still green.|

"Hey, you okay?" The flame-haired brat from earlier spoke to him. Kirito scowled as the two others ran up behind him.

"I heard fighting and we were just down the hallway," Another spoke. Kirito glared at him.

"You three were scrapping with the «Divine Dragon Alliance» earlier, right?" Kirito asked absently, looking over the edge of the bridge. The blonde woman had disappeared. "Did they manage to steal the sub-boss from you?"

The green-haired one with glasses just behind Jun bristled, but their leader held out his hand.

"Yeah. The «DDA» likes to play dirty," A scowl from the leader, "We're planning on taking the issue to the «Council». They got a pretty rare sword from the fight and I intend to get it back from them," The boy paused, "If you saw the whole exchange, would you be willing to testify about what happened? It would help a lot in getting our fair share."

Kirito looked at the three boys, each one barely old enough to be called men. All three were teenagers. Eager and hopeful expressions adorned all of their faces, as if their plight might finally be solved. Kirito chuckled.

"Deal with it yourself," Kirito said. He spun quickly on his heels, heading back out towards the entrance to the «Ant Hill». Without another word, Kirito turned the corner and left them behind.

* * *

**Naieme – Floor 42 – November 20, 2023 – 16:50**

"Get into position!" Her leader's gruff voice called out, eerily reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard. Naieme shifted, squatting down on the tree branch and leveling her longbow. Ergos was below, several potions at the ready. Her leader, RedSCAR, had his greatsword out and ready in the clearing below. He wasn't a tall man; his greatsword was actually taller than he was. The rest of her party was nowhere to be found.

"We cleared this area a while ago," Ergos whined, "Are you sure it's still safe? What if the lesser mobs respawn?"

"Shut it and do your job," RedSCAR snapped. Ergos acquiesced.

She was positioned in a tree next to a large cliff, the wind whipping at her jet black hair. It was easily a few hundred feet down to the cliff floor, where jagged rocks and rigid outcroppings lay. Naieme had never been particularly afraid of heights, but she could see how her party members might have disliked this location. Naieme shook her head, focusing on the clearing in the bare trees in front of her.

"Where the hell is Brian?" Naieme shouted down, her legs starting to get stiff from squatting. This particular lure was taking a lot longer than the previous ones did. Brian – also known by his username S3XYB345T – was their tank, and usually he was faster than this.

"There!" Ergos pointed, his thin and reedy voice matching his mousy appearance.

Brian burst through the line of leaf-bare trees, his legs pounded with the effort of running. A long spear was in one hand and a tower shield was strapped to his back. He stopped in the middle of the clearing, spinning quickly and hunkering down with his shield. For a moment, the clearing was calm as everything settled.

The peace was broken an instant later. Their target spilled out through the border of the dark forest, black smoke billowing from its massive frame. It was tall and skeletal, its lower body that of a horse and the upper body like a man's. Cold blue eyes stared back behind a bleached skull head, the color a pure and glowing white. The thing was wreathed in black shadows that enveloped its body and obscured most of its bony interior.

«Death Riders» were a powerful but uncommon monster that lurked amongst the dead and dying trees of the «Lost Forest». Their demonic black spears spelled death for the unprepared.

Naieme grinned. The thing's weapon was the goal. These creatures didn't give very good experience, but the «Demon's Talon» spear they dropped was an exceptional weapon. Their group had been farming here for the last week but had yet to find a single one. Lind, their commander in the «Divine Dragon Alliance», would be very pleased to see one of his guild mates get a hold of one.

Nobunaga and Mothra came into the clearing soon after, their weapons at the ready. Naieme drew her bow string tight, aiming for the creature's demonic face. The «Death Rider» was surrounded. It lashed out at Brian, drawn by his agro skills. To the side, RedSCAR landed a heavy hit against the thing's side while Ergos was mixing together debilitating potions.

There came another shout from the side as Mothra landed a «Vertical Strike» against the creature, his longsword impaling deep into the thing's side. Naieme let off another arrow, which nicked the top of the monster's head. She swore, drawing another arrow from her quiver.

«Death Riders» were resilient sub-bosses of the «Lost Forest». Not quite the strongest monster – that honor went to the «Witch of the Deep», which haunted the deepest interior – but it was significantly stronger than the more numerous «Floating Skulls» or «Wandering Spirit» monsters. Though the «Death Riders» often came in pairs, it was much easier just to take down one. Their quarry's health was only in the yellow now. Just a little bit more…

"Shit!" Brian swore as the agro broke.

The «Death Rider» turned its massive spear towards Ergos, who had just thrown a flame potion at the creature. The mousy man shrieked, falling backwards and staring up as the creature as it prepared to impale him. Naieme drew two arrows, activating her «Double Shot» skill. She fired, each projectile digging into the monster's face. It was enough to divert the agro of the monster, which charged towards Naieme.

It impacted the trunk of her tree, shaking it heavily. With a grunt, she swung into the higher branches as its long spear stabbed into the foliage to get at her. Once safely out of its reach, she fired another few arrows.

Behind it, Brian activated an agro skill, pulling the monster back away from the tree. Now safely under control, the «Death Rider's» attention was fully fixed onto the tank. Naieme let go a quick sigh of relief; these were high-damage sub-bosses. If it focused too long on a character not built for defense, the results could be disastrous.

RedSCAR was fuming as he stabbed away at the creature. Any breach in formation would throw that man into a fit. Naieme narrowed her eyes, gazing down the end of an arrow before firing it. It flashed pretty dangerously close to the party leader's head before impacting the «Death Rider's» side.

Their formation was unique to the monster they had targeted. The «Death Riders» were tall and long monsters. When the creature is focused on the tank, there were wide segments open for anyone to attack without having to get in the way of the other party members. It was a simple strategy, but an effective one.

Naieme activated another skill, a high-critical skill called «Piercing Thunder». Her arrow glowed red as she pulled her arm back. When it released, the air around her bow seemed to compress and follow the path of her arrow. It impacted the «Death Rider» between the eyes and the thing reared back on its horse-like hind legs.

A second later, a deathly scream erupted from its wide-open skull mouth. Smoke poured from the creature's body as it collapsed. The bones that composed its body shattered as the monster died. Naieme stared at the pile of bone and ash that built around her party members' feet and smiled. Another one dead. Naieme examined her share of the drops in her menu.

"We… we got one!" Ergos shouted as he pointed at the menu open in front of him.

Naieme leapt from the tree. She impacted the ground softly, rolling to her knees and darting over to Ergos. Sure enough, she could see over his shoulder the dark metal icon indicating that Ergos had received the «Demon's Talon».

"Finally," Naieme breathed a sigh of relief, "We can get back to the front lines."

"Lind will be waiting with open arms," Mothra joked, a wide smile on his never-serious face, "Maybe he'll give Red a big ol' kiss on the cheek for the effort we went through."

RedSCAR was silent as he stared at Ergos' screen. The short and fiery-tempered man's odd demeanor stood out from his usual barrage of insults and taunts. Naieme and the rest of her party looked over at him as he furrowed his brow. It was a while before he spoke.

"What if," RedSCAR spoke hesitantly, a rarity for him, "we don't tell Lind about this?"

Everyone was silent.

"What do you mean?" Naieme asked, brushing some hair back behind an ear. Her fingers felt like ice, her heart seeming to stop from RedSCAR's statement.

"I mean," RedSCAR sighed, "We sell it. Split the profits. A spear like this will go for 150-200k. That's 20k plus for each of us. Lind wouldn't reward us a fraction of that and he's just gonna give the spear to some other asshole in the guild."

"But that's wrong!" Ergos piped up, his voice quick with panic, "It's stealing!"

"How?" RedSCAR growled, "We put the effort in to getting this weapon. We're the ones who grinded out here for a week to get it. Not Lind."

"But the guild supports us," Naieme started, "They pay for our living expenses, for our food and for places to sleep every night. We can't just turn our back against thousands of Col spent on us over the last few months."

"Sure we can," RedSCAR said, "All we gotta do is grow some balls and do what's best for us. The clan doesn't care about us. They only care about preserving their status as a top-notch clearing guild."

"But that doesn't mean," Ergos started, before tensing up, looking around quickly, "You guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Naieme asked, cocking her head quizzically.

But then she did.

The first arrow took Ergos in the shoulder, spinning him about and forcing him to the ground. Two more sprouted from Mothra's chest, and the young swordsman fell to his knees. In an instant his health was already red.

"PKers!" RedSCAR shouted, shouldering his greatsword. In the tree-line opposite the cliff, Naieme could see shapes darting in the dark. An orange cursor among them, a bow in the lithe form's hand.

Naieme drew her own bow, but an arrow stuck through her wrist just as she was about to fire. She shrieked as the numbness spread through her body. A yellow «Limb Penalty» warning popped up, indicating she no longer had use of that arm. Silently she cursed as the chaos unfolded around her.

A swordsman in sunset-colored leather armor erupted from the forest, his katana slashing at RedSCAR's defenses. The man fell into a defensive posture, his greatsword level in front of him to block the weaknesses in his heavy plate.

To her immediate left, a man similarly equipped as RedSCAR struck at Brian, a broad-bladed greatsword smashing against her tank's tower shield. More people appeared out of the tree cover: an African man with a rapier, a slender young woman with a bow, and a plate-armored older woman wielding a massive cudgel.

Nobunaga was the next to fall. He prostrated himself on the ground as his health fell into the red, begging and pleading for his life. The man with the rapier knocked him to the ground, but stopped at that. Brian fell under the assault of the archer, whose arrows piercing his heavy armor in several joints and rendering him immobile. The woman didn't finish him off.

"Throw down your weapons!" Naieme called, falling against a tree, "They're not trying to kill us!"

"Listen to the girl, dipshit," The warrior snarled at RedSCAR as their blades locked again, "You want to die so badly?"

RedSCAR looked around. He was surrounded and the rest of his party members were disarmed or otherwise incapacitated. After a brief tense moment, he lowered his greatsword and let it go. Naieme sighed heavily. The man attacking them, a short and stocky man with great wide shoulders and a generally obscene expression, smirked and let up his own blade. He was easily over 40, with a receding hairline and heavy jowls.

"You're all being robbed," The sunset-armored one spoke, his katana still at the ready in case anyone tried for their weapons, "While the rest of us watch, you will be trading all of your weapons and armor over to Sophie there, our tank. Unfortunately, the rest of us can't handle that much weight. Don't worry about your modesty. We won't take your clothes, unless they're pricey enough."

The process was quick and efficient. Naieme heard Ergos swearing continually under his breath as they were arranged into a line to trade their hard earned items away. Naieme bit her lip as she lost her «Elfish Bow», something she'd spent weeks grinding Col to buy. The «Demon's Talon» was gone just as fast as they had gotten it, so many hours of effort wasted. When they all stood in their town clothes, bereft of their equipment, RedSCAR spoke up.

"So, what now?" He grumbled, "You gonna stand around and guard us while we teleport to town or whatever? It's the least you dick-weeds can do for robbing us."

"No," The short and thick one said, "Teleport crystals are worth a pretty penny. Now that you're all equipment-less, I'd like all of your consumables."

Naieme felt herself go cold. Without a teleport crystal…

"We'll die out here!" Ergos shouted, his thin voice aching with oncoming panic. Naieme turned about, checking the forest for monsters.

"You might survive," The short one shook his head, holding his greatsword up to RedSCAR's neck, "If you're quick."

The exchange was quick, but painful nonetheless. Naieme forfeited everything: health potions, teleport crystals, and everything else. When it was all over, she stood with nothing in her inventory but clothes, a sickening feeling growing in her heart.

A plan was already forming in her head. If they backtracked along segments of the «Lost Forest» that they had already cleared out, they might be able to get out before the majority of monsters respawned.

RedSCAR was the last one to trade. He crossed his arms as he walked up to the short man, sizing him up despite his lack of equipment. A bemused look crossed their enemy's face as he returned the glare.

"What, you think you're a big man for doing this?" RedSCAR stated, "You think you're so tough now?"

"RedSCAR…" Naieme called.

"I'll tell you what you really are, you little _cunt_," RedSCAR was raising his voice with every word, rage dripping from him, "You're probably some regretful old man who failed in life. You must've turned to virtual games to get out of the pathetic life you really have. Stupid little _fucks _like you are the only ones who turn to robbery to make their living."

"RedSCAR!" Naieme snapped, but her party leader pressed on.

"I bet you're just a lonely shit who never had anyone meaningful in your life," RedSCAR sneered, "It doesn't help that you're ugly as sin too. You ever even have a woman?"

"I have an ex-wife," The short man shrugged, "Tell me, what's your «Acrobatics» skill?"

"What?" RedSCAR recoiled dumbly, surprised by the sudden question. His response was slow and stumbling, as if he wasn't sure what to expect by saying it, "Uh, 89."

"I figured. You're a greatsword and heavy plate fighter, just like me. I made the mistake at first of not leveling «Acrobatics». Won't make it again. I suppose you won't either."

"What-"

In one quick motion, the short man drew his greatsword and stepped back. Then came a flash of metal as it impaled deep into RedSCAR's stomach. The man gagged for a moment, blood gurgling from his throat. He was lifted into the air and carried over to the side of the cliff. Naieme screamed and tried to run forward, but the sunset swordsman was already in front of her, holding her back. All she could do was watch.

Unarmed and unarmored, defenseless and unable to strike back, RedSCAR dangled over the edge of the cliff. The short man's face wasn't visible to Naieme, but she knew somehow he was smiling bright and wide.

"I've got a daughter," The smiling man said, "She's turning nine this year. Beautiful little girl with long brown hair. I'm sure my ex-wife is taking good care of her since her daddy is away playing games. She and I have a long-standing agreement that the child comes first, no matter what. No petty squabbles between us should ever affect her well-being. No personal crises should ever prevent her from getting the parenting she deserves. Nothing at all," He snarled the words, his voice almost bestial, "can stop me from being a father to her again."

A quick shunt of the greatsword and RedSCAR was forced backwards and off the blade. In an instant, his body disappeared from view. Naieme screamed and the rest of her party shouted or yelled, but he was already long gone. The short man turned back to their group, his face calm and collected.

"Now, all of you better start running if you're gonna get back to town safely. It's gonna be a rough time, after all," The short man smiled, "I heard «Death Riders» come in pairs."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I dislike Author's Notes, so expect these to be few and far between. I take the first three chapters of my story after this to set up my OCs. After that, Argo and Kirito start to appear as main characters. I've made several changes to canon in my version of «Sword Art Online». For example, you cannot just check whether your friends are online or not to see if they're dead. The «Monument of Life» also doesn't display whether people are alive or dead. It's just a list of all 10,000 player usernames. Also, I upped the ages of most under-aged canon characters, including Yuuki. Yes, I obviously changed the fact that Yuuki wasn't present in the original SAO.

It is worth noting that the structure of these changes are such that the canon storyline can still unfold in pretty much the same way. I am not establishing an AU here, merely making small changes. The main idea I had behind these changes is that aside from small dialogue changes or insignificant differences in character interaction, the main story of SAO could continue from my fanfic without problems. Yes, even Mother's Rosario.

For a complete list of changes from canon, see the forum page for this story at:

/topic/119986/117076597/1/Story-A-Study-of-Depravity


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Argo – Floor 35 – December 25, 2023 – 13:25**

Christmas was always a cold, dark day. No amount of festive lights or cheery opinions could change the depth of winter. Argo shivered, drawing her cloak tighter around her. People passed by her frequently, shadows from the severe sconces playing about their jovial faces. Mishe was a heavy and black town, its architecture consisting of a strong Greek and Gothic flair.

Up ahead, the «Weathercock Pavillion» overlooked the main courtyard of the bustling town. Through the opening of the patio one could see the massive decorated Christmas tree. Dainty flourishes of red and green, yellow and white. Tinsel and glass ornaments and candles. A haze of people surrounded it, talking and laughing and dancing. The people had taken to the streets en masse for Christmas Day, their partying showing no signs of relenting.

It wasn't like last year in the slightest.

She spotted her client sipping tea at the edge of the covered patio, absently watching the snow dance down. He was a young man and handsome, with strict and well-manicured features that complimented his carefully pruned brown hairstyle. She couldn't help but notice how much Lind now looked like Diavel even though a year had passed since the knight's death.

Quietly, the information broker slipped through the mess of occupied tables and approached him. Finally catching sight of her, Lind stared with a dark look in his done-up and put-together, the second-in-command of the «Divine Dragon Alliance» seemed frayed at the edges, like a dog growling before the inevitable bite.

"Why did you call me on my day off?" Argo said, keeping her voice harsh. She slid onto the free chair. Immediately, an NPC server walked up, smiling at Argo. After a peppy 'Happy Holidays!' from the inhuman thing, the waitress set a cup of complimentary coffee down in front of Argo and left.

"My guild failed to get the «Divine Stone of Returning Soul»." Lind shook his head, interlacing his fingers. "«Fuurinkazan» had stronger members than I anticipated."

"So what? I know you didn't have me come all the way out here just to hear you complain."

Argo sipped her steaming coffee, looking over Lind's shoulder at the festivities below. In the entire span of Argo's eighteen years, she'd never seen people celebrate so desperately. She supposed they all deserved it. Last year there were more funerals than parties.

"No, of course not. I have a job for you."

He opened his menu and materialized a few sheets of paper, sliding them across the table towards Argo. They were coarse, thick sheets. Made from good paper. Dabs of fancy and clear black scribblings revealed a list of usernames. Argo picked up the top sheet. Next to each of the usernames were red marks indicating time, location and cause of death. Inwardly, Argo deflated. She already knew what Lind was going to ask and any job was better than this.

Investigations into player deaths. A side-job for information brokers.

"Why give me a «Death Registry»?"

"Last month, several of my guild members disappeared in the «Lost Forest»," Lind explained, "They were on a farming trip, trying to get ahold of a powerful unique spear that drops there. You can find their names on the «Death Registry». They were killed by monsters."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Argo hid a twinge of pain when she said it. Even if she didn't know the players personally, each death affected her the same way. Every person killed lessened their chances of getting out of the virtual world. "But I still don't understand why you called me out here."

"The hunting party had six people. Only five are on the registry." Lind glared at the table, not bothering to look up as he spoke. "The last person, RedSCAR, has been missing ever since then. I do not believe he is still alive."

"If he was dead, the «Death Registry» would have added his name already." Argo raised an eyebrow. She already knew there was a catch. There was always a catch in this line of work. She toyed with the idea of getting up and leaving; of not getting involved.

It wouldn't have been fair to the deceased.

"Unless he was murdered. There would be no record of his death if the crime was unreported."

"I'm starting to see why you called me." Argo brushed a strand of dark-brown hair away from her eye, looking over the list again. There were twenty names in all, each one a verified death from the month of November. It was a list updated consistently by NPC guards, who also managed lists of orange players and bounties out for players.

"Well…" Lind sighed, an oddly resigned sound from the normally proud sub-leader of the «Divine Dragon Alliance». "My working theory is that they were robbed, stripped of their weapons and armor, and left to die. They were probably restrained so that they couldn't message for help."

"And for whatever reason, they killed RedSCAR instead of letting monsters get to him." Argo nodded. "Sounds reasonable. However, RedSCAR could be hiding in shame right now, traumatized by the death of his comrades. Or he could be the killer."

"RedSCAR was a mouthy and irrational guy, but he was no murderer."

"All right. I'll do it." Argo requested a trade for the «Death Registry», which Lind accepted. "We'll discuss payment later, once I get an idea of how much work this is going to be."

"Thank you, Argo." Lind closed his eyes tight and opened them again. A hint of wetness dotted the edges of his eyes. If anyone had mentioned it, Lind would have called it melted snow. "You have no idea how much this means to us at the DDA."

After saying her goodbyes, she departed quickly, circling around to the side of the building. Soon after she'd left, she heard Lind stand and call out to somebody. Argo paused, looking back at the table. Lind jogged over to a large man in full plate armor, a golden apple emblazoned on the chest.

"Schmitt!" Lind smiled, but Argo could tell he was trying to hold back the fact that he had just been close to crying. "Is that you? Long time no see! When are you gonna leave Griselda and Grimlock and finally join a real guild?"

Argo took off down a dark side-alley, dodging around a group of drunken adventurers as they stumbled past. Mishe was a cramped city with many tall buildings and confusing alleyways. When she'd first moved her base of operations here, she had easily gotten lost. Now she knew it by heart. It was one of the most popular towns aside from «Starting City», home to several large guild-houses and popular taverns. It was perfect for a lowly rat like herself to sniff out information. She glanced down at the «Death Registry» again, her mind wandering. It wasn't the first time a group of players had vanished mysteriously while hunting. If she had to put money on it, she'd bet it wouldn't be the last.

However, Lind hadn't told her everything. That much she was certain of.

Argo opened her messages. What contacts did she have that operated around Floor 42, where the «Lost Forest» was? Absently she scrolled through her friends list. Sophie, maybe? She and the rest of her monster-hunting party had been hovering around the lower 40s for a few weeks now. Maybe one of them had heard something?

If she contacted Sophie, she'd have to deal with the others in that little group. She cringed just thinking about it. David and the Tank were not her favorite people, what with David's callous and dickish personality and the Tank's unrestrained vulgarity. But if she had no other options…

Her finger rested on one name in particular on her list of friends. Kirito. She opened the message history she had for him; it was only a handle of exchanges, some of them with months in between responses. She read over the most recent message, sent today and struggled back a feeling of vulnerability.

'_I know this isn't like me, but I'm worried about you, Kii-bou. How did the raid go? Merry Christmas.__'_

Argo shook her head, struggling to ignore Kirito's lack of a response. Was he okay? From what she'd heard, «Nicholas the Renegade» was definitely not a push-over raid boss. Kirito would have soloed it if «Fuurikazan» hadn't intervened and gone with him.

"Damn it…" Argo muttered, opening another message window. She typed in Klein's name and sent a message quickly.

_'__Hey Klein. It's Argo. Congratulations on beating the «Divine Dragon Alliance» and getting that rare item. I haven't heard from Kirito at all since the raid. Is he okay? Let me know. Thanks.'_

Even if Kirito was alive, he would probably still be having some sort of issue. The 17-year-old soloer looked like death when he'd come to Argo looking for information about the «Divine Stone of Returning Soul». He had bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days. Even his weapons and armor were in tatters from neglect. She had to force him to get them repaired properly.

When she asked him what was wrong, all he would do was stare back silently.

Argo shook her head. She had a job to do. She'd worry about Kirito later. She opened her inventory, materializing a weapon she'd received when she collected on a loan. The «Murderous Fugue» was a disturbingly powerful longsword built for PvP, but it was effectively useless for anything else. Its two abilities, «+100% Damage to Players» and «Low Chance to Break Weapon», shone red inside the weapon description.

If what Lind had said was true, there was a PKer running about. Maybe – though it was only a chance – Argo could fish him out.

* * *

**David – Floor 43 – December 28, 2023 – 18:25**

The forty-third floor was known among the trapped players for its scenery. In the exact center of the floor lay Llyne. It was a subtle medieval European-themed town, complete with thatched-roof houses, smoking furnaces of classic smithies and even a small keep adorning an even smaller hill. The browns of the wooden frames, the whites of clear and clean stone walls, the gold of wrought iron shining in the sunset, all brought life to the virtual reality David now called home.

"Pretty," Muscles muttered. It was the first word the ebony-skinned man had spoken all day and would likely also be the last. David smiled at the older man gratefully – the others were too busy planning for the big hunt to appreciate the beauty of the virtual nature. Together, the two looked over the plains ahead where the town was nestled close among slight hills. The green of the farm fields faded in the dying light and David saw several of the farmsteads lighting candles in the distance. One of them, relatively nearby, housed a special NPC who gave a rather useful quest: a repeatable monster hunt that gave some decent potions as a reward. David had completed the quest several times over the past few days in preparation for today's job.

"You two gonna do the job or just fuck around?" The Tank growled behind them. David turned, surprised to see the attention of his party focused intently upon him. Behind them, about a mile off, the forest's stark border began. Grassy plains and farmland gave way to dense trees and darkness. The forest formed a ring around the border of the entire floor, encircling the calm farmland around Llyne.

"Sorry, _boss_." David smirked, knowing his sarcasm would piss off their self-proclaimed leader. Already he could see the veins on the Tank's forehead begin to gain definition. The man's grip on his great sword tightened – despite the Tank's nickname, Sophie was the actual tank of the group. "So what's the story?"

David walked to the others, his bare feet sinking into the soft grass. Sophie rolled her eyes at him, pointing at the map Newbie was holding out. The Tank's arms crossed over his large, plate-armored chest, his small, black eyes squinting against the sunlight. David maintained his fey smile while he locked his gaze with the Tank, refusing to look away. The group had all equipped their armor – except David, who was still in his town clothes.

"You expect to work in that?" The Tank gestured at his garments, a simple white cloth shirt and brown pants. One of the cheapest sets of clothing in the game, of course. David couldn't exactly afford the more extravagant items.

"Jeez, sorry." David chuckled, keeping his tone light. He opened the game menu, switching quickly to his armor – light leather dyed red and gold to accompany a natural brown. They were sunset colors, which he preferred. "Can't blame a guy for enjoying some comfort."

The Tank shook his head, turning back to the map. "So, as I was saying, Lyra is currently scouting the monster spawns at the «Grand Clearing». The Griffon raid boss is set to spawn in a few hours. By the time that happens I want us to be in position, okay?"

Newbie nodded enthusiastically – a small, flighty action that mimicked the high-school student's appearance. The rest of them gave their assent more subtly. David didn't respond at all.

"What kind of heat are they packing? You got any info on that?" David queried, examining the map. He recalled one of the brokers mentioning the «Grand Clearing». It lay in the darkest, deepest depths of the forest and hosted some of the most powerful monsters on the floor, aside from the floor boss. Dark red trees hundreds of feet tall surrounded a massive circle of mossy rocks and rough ground. A cave sprouted from the far side, where the dark and dangerous Griffon dwelled. That's where they'd find their prey.

"Nothing we can't handle," the Tank grunted. He pointed to the eastern side of a particularly large circle on the map. "We're gonna set up there and wait things out for a bit. If our client didn't measure the spawn time accurately, I don't want any of you assholes disturbing the raid boss until it's time, got it? We screw this up and we could all wind up dead. Newbie," The newest member of their party straightened up. "You've never done this before. You can stay back and support us, but make sure you watch and learn, got it?"

More nodding.

Sophie ran her hand over her chin, her brow furrowed. The Tank looked at the middle-aged woman expectantly. David caught his reflection on the torso of her plate armor. The thick metal covered her entire body, save her face. On her back a mace and shield hung at the ready.

"Are we really accounting for every variable?" Sophie said at last. Her gaze would have burned a hole in the map if it could. Her short, cropped brown hair shifted in the light breeze. "I know I'm usually too quick to criticize our plans, but I can't shake the feeling that we're missing something important."

"Is there a problem with the plan?" Newbie asked hurriedly, his eyes suddenly wide. One hand flexed over the pommel of his short sword while his other hand crinkled the edge of the map. "What is it?"

Sophie shook her head, her expression hard but conflicted. "I really can't say. It's more of a bad feeling than anything constructive. I just don't want us waltzing into a situation that'll get us all killed. The «Grand Clearing» isn't exactly the safest spot to do a job."

"This isn't a complicated assignment." The Tank shook his head. David noticed for the first time the older man had styled his beard differently. Now it was braided down the center and longer at the sides. When did he do that? "Get in, get our stuff, get out. Then we get paid and we get good enough equipment to start doing front-line jobs."

"Which may kill us even faster," David quipped. Muscles nodded. It was a slow, deliberate motion that was at complete odds to his frantic, fast fighting style. Before meeting the quiet giant, David had thought it was only the little guys who chose rapiers. Muscles' armor, while still classified as leather armor, looked more like clothing.

The Tank stared at the setting sun for a moment, his expression grim. David examined their not-so-neat little group – Sophie, the Tank, Newbie, Muscles and himself. Lyra was away scouting. Aside from Newbie, they'd all been in a fair amount of scuffles over the past few months. This job wouldn't be any different from the rest.

"We should get moving," the Tank finally said.

The «Grand Clearing», where they would finally get the funds needed to advance to the front lines, was only a few hours away. Yet it was hard for David to get excited about it. Sure, maybe he'd get a new katana or a new set of leather armor, if that really mattered. Newbie was chattering already, talking of equipment shops he'd seen in Llyne and all the fancy baubles he'd buy. Even Muscles entertained a smile as the Tank described a new flamberge he'd wanted.

David and Sophie were silent, their gazes fixed on the forest ahead.

* * *

**Sierra – Floor 49 – December 28, 2023 – 22:14**

Another pint of virtual alcohol drained, Sierra set down her now-empty glass and leaned back in her stool. Her back was straight against the tavern wall as she scanned the room, ignoring the person ahead of her and eyeing everything else carefully. The place was typical front-line fare: managed by NPCs but packed full with fighters, rogues, strategists and mappers. With the lack of hangovers and no formal work environment, many of the front-line clan members went drinking every night if they could. This included Sierra.

The lighting in the bar was heavy and dark. It was a common style among many of the taverns in Aincrad and was used to promote a dark ambiance. Small candles on wrought iron sconces weren't enough for Sierra to even see the floor, but it didn't bother her much. Her «Night Vision» was leveled significantly, granting her a clear view of even the darkest corners of the tavern. Those without her build often had some issues navigating places like this.

"It really doesn't taste like the real stuff," Sierra muttered. Aincrad beer was disappointing, but on nights like this anything that got her drunk was good enough. Her real issue was the woman sitting across from her.

"It's just like real life, you know." The woman hadn't appeared sleazy when she sat down. She was older than Sierra by maybe ten years, with a pinched nose and sharp chin. At first she seemed to be one more stranger seeking relief after a long day of monster hunting or dungeon mapping or questing. Sierra hadn't paid her much mind and the woman did the same to her. Of course, alcohol affected everyone differently. An hour and several beers later, she was starting to get annoying.

"I'm not going to sleep with you." Sierra rubbed her temples. The woman was killing her buzz something fierce. "Find a desperate non-player from Starting City if you want sex, but leave me out of it."

"Come_ on_, honey." The woman was trying her best to be seductive, but her words were heavily slurred and far from attractive. "You know, I've seen you around with that cutie Hikari. Isn't she a strategist? Hell, I'd love to get both of you in bed with me."

Sierra felt a shiver run up her back. What would Hikari say if she were here? She glared at the woman across from her. She would have been attractive if she wasn't being such a creep. Several others were making cautious glances their way, well aware of the older woman's obnoxious advances. Of course, none of them were interested in helping Sierra out.

"It isn't real sex, you know? You don't have to worry about your sweet little virginity or whatever." The woman smiled, a lock of brown hair falling over empty, pale eyes. She was still dressed in her armor – black and gray leather and chain. "Your body in the real world will stay nice and pure no matter what nasty shit you do."

Sweet little virginity? Sierra had a slender frame and she wasn't the tallest woman. In the right lighting people, it was easy to see that some people might think she was a bit younger than she was. However, she didn't think anyone would take it that far.

Women were often approached about these sorts of things in the game – having a significantly larger portion of males than females in the game would do that – and it was getting rather old. Sierra tightened her grip. Did she have to plaster a big-ass sign to her forehead stating that she wasn't interested? She didn't need it from the women too.

"I said no." Sierra stood quickly. Her chair flew out behind her, slamming against the wall. One hand moved automatically to her scimitar. "Your kind piss me off. You think that just because we're in a game you can do whatever the hell you want? Don't give me that shit."

"Hey, I just wanna have some fun!" The woman protested, slamming her beer glass down onto the table. Several of the others in the bar were staring at them now and the woman was finally starting to notice all the uncomfortable stares. "Why can't you be more agreeable?" The question was high-pitched, exasperated.

"Just…" Sierra shook her head. Her buzz was completely gone now. "I'm leaving. Don't follow me."

Sierra stepped around the table, her gaze level with her harasser until she had passed her by. Out the door and into the dimly-lit streets she walked, all the while struggling to hold herself back from punching the tavern wall. She spent a few moments breathing deep and glanced down the road.

The entirety of the main town of the 49th floor had a Gothic lighting. Dark, twisted lanterns adorned the sides of the streets, marking the paths between heavy, stone buildings. She had emerged onto one of the main streets running through the town. Towards the center of the town, Sierra could see a massive cathedral complete with Gothic arches and flying buttresses. A few dozen players were dancing outside of it to the music played by a couple of NPCs. The theme was drab and archaic, but music from physical instruments was rare enough in Aincrad that Sierra found it pleasing regardless.

She took off at a brisk pace towards the town center, where the inn she was staying at with her guild mates was. Pollux would probably yell at her when she got back. He'd tell her how she should be keeping her senses sharp, that they lived in a dangerous world, yadda yadda. Sierra rolled her eyes preemptively just from thinking about the tongue lashing she'd get from him. Of course, Castor would say nothing all, just letting his twin rant. At least Hikari would be there. Sierra smiled.

"I ain't done with you!" A voice called behind her and Sierra pivoted at the painfully familiar sound. The woman from the bar leaned against a nearby wall, a smug grin on her alcohol-reddened face. It was obvious from how she walked that the woman was more than a bit tipsy.

"You aren't done making a fool out of yourself yet?" Sierra growled.

"Duel me!" The woman shouted, her hands already fumbling with a longsword at her belt. "Duel me and I'll show you!"

"Show me what, exactly?" Sierra was so done with this woman. "You're drunk. I'm tired. We've both got better things to do. Harass someone else."

"You embarrassed me!" The woman was shouting now. Several players passing by stopped to look, hoping for a fight to break out. Duels were cheap entertainment for front-liners.

"You embarrassed yourself," Sierra said, but then bit her tongue. She thought it over for a moment. A duel, eh? "But you know, I'll beat the shit out of you if that means you'll shut up and leave me alone."

A moment later her menu opened, a duel request from 'Justitia'. Sierra narrowed her eyes at the username. It rang an odd bell – familiar, yet not. She glanced at the brown-haired bimbo staring at her from a few feet away. Her challenger's drunken, confident smile was made wider by the low lighting. Her leather armor shone weakly, highlighting the frame of the woman.

The duel would be decided by whoever got to half-health first.

Sierra hesitated. Even in a half-health duel, there was always a danger of dying. An ill-timed critical hit could potentially do enough damage to kill the loser, though Sierra had heard of only a handful of cases where that had happened. It was unlikely in this case – Sierra had scimitar and Justitia a longsword. Neither opponent had high-crit weapons.

But Sierra felt the hunger.

It had been a long time since she'd fought a duel. The thrill and the excitement enticed her. Memories of uncertainty and fear and adrenaline flooded her. A primal need to hurt and to be hurt, something fundamentally different from fighting mindless beasts. No, this lowlife wouldn't die tonight, but Sierra couldn't resist the chance to do some damage.

She pressed the button to accept the duel and the countdown appeared above them.

* * *

**David – Floor 43 – December 28, 2023 – 22:20**

"Christ above! Or below, or whatever." David rolled his eyes, stretching his legs across the long, thick tree branch. Below them, the «Grand Clearing» was empty and dark. "When the hell is this gonna start?"

Thick forest surrounded him on three sides and the «Grand Clearing» lay open at the base of the tall trees. Lyra sat nearby, observing the raiding grounds with him. As the two scouts of the group they were often lumped together. The rest of the party was busy setting everything up. Below, he could just barely make out Newbie's young form as he shadowed the Tank. It had been quick work clearing the regular monsters out from the area. Now all they could do was wait.

"Hey, David?" Lyra leaned against the tree trunk, a wicked and jagged spear in hand. Even though their branch was more than thick enough to let both of them comfortably lay down, Lyra was refusing to relax. She was a slim Asian girl, but David knew from experience that she was worth far more than her weight in combat. Her spear was a force to be reckoned with – it was a unique weapon they'd gotten on a previous job, called the «Demon's Talon».

"What's up?" David materialized a ball from his inventory. It was roughly the size of a tennis ball and deep red. His favorite color. He tossed it up into the air, making a game of getting as close to the next layer of leaves as he could without actually hitting any.

"Do you ever have any… doubts about all this?" He could see Lyra's head but not her expression. Tonight was painfully dark and dull. What little light shone down from the virtual stars above them didn't reach her face.

"Doubts?" David stopped after catching the ball again. "Not really."

Lyra didn't respond, so David threw the ball again. Doubts? It didn't make sense. What they did, they did because they had to. It was necessary. He watched as the red ball flew up, reflecting what little light there was as it soared among the branches.

He looked up at Lyra. She was college-aged like David was. When he'd met her several months back he hadn't expected her to be such a good girl. She probably came from a well-structured family and had a decent life before being plunged into this virtual nightmare. It was no real surprise she had problems with their job.

"Hey-" David started, but she cut him off.

"David!" Lyra whispered. "They're here."

He snapped upwards, staring down at the clearing as he returned the ball to his inventory. A small group of people appeared from the brush, talking and laughing and joking. David saw them pause when they noticed the Tank and Newbie only a little way off.

"Time to go, Lyra." David winked at her before leaping from the giant tree. He was easily over two hundred feet up; the drop was sharp and sudden. He gripped a lower branch on the tree next to him, swinging easily to the next one – a clever feat only made possible by a high «Acrobatics» skill level. After a few more swings he dropped silently to the brush behind the group of raiders.

A message appeared in his menu, a group-chat from the Tank.

_'It's time.'_

David ducked behind a bush, drawing his katana and taking care not to make any noise. The raiding party was only thirty feet ahead of him. It was a full party of six people: a tank, a spear-fighter like Lyra, a few people with specialized monster-damage weapons, and a man with several quick-access potions equipped. A potion-master was necessary for support functions in a raiding group, but they weren't too great in PVP. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Lyra ducking into place a few feet away. The Tank smiled wide, gesturing to the newcomers.

"Aloha!" The Tank greeted them while walking up to the leader of the raiding party, the spear-fighter. He was a tall man with glossy black hair. A red-tipped spear ran along his back – a strong weapon for PVP, though the leader was the only one outfitted for it. He was wearing light metal armor to boot; he'd be a dangerous person if not taken care of quickly.

"Who the hell are you?" The leader's voice was sharp and frustrated. "The Griffon is going to spawn soon and I don't want to deal with competition."

"Oh, of course, of course." The Tank's smile was almost warm and genuine. "You guys are from the «Eternal Brotherhood», right? That guild that's new to the front-lines?" David saw more than a few of the raiders stiffen at the name.

"Yeah," the leader responded, his voice betraying his emotions. He was on edge, as he should be. David pressed his feet against the tree behind him, ready to move at the signal. "How did you know that?"

"A handsome young man from town told me." The Tank smiled. David inwardly cringed. Nothing good ever came from the Tank when he was in a good mood. "See, I've got a little request for you guys."

"What?" Most of the raiding party had their hands on their weapons already, sensing danger.

"I'd like all of you to hand over your weapons and armor. I want everything you guys got," the Tank replied quickly. Newbie fidgeted nervously at the Tank's side, flinching when the raid leader burst out laughing.

"Seriously?" The man said between fits of laughter. "You know who we are and you still think you can just rob us?"

"Yeah. I do." The Tank raised an arm. The signal.

David bounced off the tree, using it as a springboard to propel himself forward. He soared through the air, the jump elongated by his high «Acrobatics» skill. His katana flashed as the raid leader turned, startled by the noise.

The katana sunk deep into the raid leader's chest, right through his heart. Exactly on target. A red «Critical Hit» warning label appeared over the wound as David bore the man to the ground. He stood over the shocked raider, pulling out his blade quickly. The man wasn't dead, but he was paralyzed from the heart injury. Somewhere inside, David felt the sweet catharsis of combat and a quick burst of relief. David's cursor was orange now, the penalty for committing a crime.

Sensing danger, David turned about. A loud clang and he saw the Tank parry an axe meant for David. The raider stepped back before lunging at the Tank again. Newbie screeched, running off. David wasn't surprised. Somewhere to his left, Lyra had burst from cover, pinning the raider's tank against a tree and preventing him from activating any aggro skills. Both primary targets were down.

Sophie was in the clearing in a matter of moments, pulling several of the other raiders towards her while Muscles rushed in, his rapier quickly striking several enemies in an instant. David tackled the nearest raider, pressing his katana to the man's throat. He scowled menacingly at David but could do nothing.

It was all over in a heartbeat. The raiders, seeing their loss, threw down their weapons and surrendered. The Tank was laughing as he tied them up, gleefully accepting trades to take all of their items. Teleport crystals, health potions, rare weapons and armors. Their client would be very, very happy with today's haul.

David smiled wide at the prisoners as they struggled against their bonds. Perhaps he'd get a new katana after all.

* * *

**Sierra – Floor 49 – December 28 – 22:20**

Sierra stepped off the moment the timer turned zero, charging Justitia. She whipped her scimitar out of its sheath, holding it at the ready. Justitia's longsword was up and in a defensive position, both of the woman's hands gripping the handle. She was ready for first Sierra's strike. Their weapons collided, sending out a dance of sparks.

Turning about, Sierra activated her «Martial Arts» skill as she spun on a dime. One foot lashing out, Sierra kicked Justitia's stomach, an audible thud reverberating through the darkened streets. The woman gasped heavily as she was pushed back a step, her longsword out wide. A few startled voices rang out to the side as pedestrians finally realized what was going on. Sierra heard them shout for friends to run over and check it out. Sierra charged in, swinging her sword at her drunken opponent.

Justitia was fast. She dodged the attack – only barely – but couldn't avoid the scimitar slicing through several fingers on her left hand. A yellow «Limb Penalty» warning appeared on her skin near the wound. Justitia wouldn't be able to grip the sword in two hands now, giving Sierra the advantage.

The duel monitor showed Justitia's health dip to about three-fourths. The drunken woman shouted as she saw her HP decrease. Justitia charged, longsword swinging wildly, but Sierra sidestepped. She twisted, putting weight into another swing to her left, but feinted just as Justitia brought her longsword up to block the strike. Justitia's right side was wide open and Sierra kicked her again, knocking the woman away.

"Tricky bitch!" Justitia gasped. More than a couple players were gathering now, drawn by the flashing «Duel» monitor hanging above the two players. Some were cheering, shouting for one player or the other. Free entertainment, Sierra supposed. This wasn't a duel to the death, so likely many of the players viewed the fight as a bit of end-of-the-year celebrations. For just a moment, she caught sight of a black-cloaked young man observing the fight before turning away. Others, groups of people in clan colors, were making bets. It was clear who they'd favor; Justitia's health was near half and Sierra's was almost full.

"Feels good to beat the shit out of idiots." Sierra smirked. "You should have left me alone in that bar when I told you to. Now I'm just gonna make a fool out of you."

"Damn you!" Justitia raged. Sierra danced around Justitia's overhead strike. Except the blade wasn't there. A cold numbness swept through her as Justitia's longsword plowed through Sierra's left arm, sawing it off completely.

"Shit!" Sierra gasped, running backwards. Justitia had shifted the direction of her strike faster than Sierra thought she could. There was no pain from her injury – only a vague sense of loss. In a few hours, she'd regain her left arm again once the «Limb Penalty» wore off. Now, with both of them unable to use their weapons in two hands and both at half-health, they were even.

"See!" Justitia cackled. "I can trick you too!"

Sierra swore. Her health had taken a plunge and was hovering dangerously close to the mid-point. She shook off her feelings of unease, charging Justitia. Her opponent shouted, running forward to meet her. Justitia swung her longsword around from the left, but Sierra ducked under the strike, sweeping her legs under the woman. Drunk and off-balance, Justitia swore as she fell backwards. Sierra straightened quickly and plunged her scimitar into Justitia's chest.

Sierra smiled wide, the duel finally over. A strike like that was more than enough to win the match. She sighed in relief as Justitia's health dipped into the red. Now the duel would be declared won and she could finally get back to her room at the inn and get some much-needed sleep. Hell, she'd have a sweet story to tell to Hikari the following morning. She'd have a great time telling her guild mates about how she'd beaten the crap out of some creep who harassed her at a bar.

But Justitia's health didn't stop decreasing. Sierra glanced down at the woman she'd defeated. A red «Critical Hit» message hovered above the chest wound. Justitia stared at it too, her eyes wide and expression twisted. Sierra stepped back, her scimitar still embedded in her opponent's heart as Justitia's HP reached zero.

"You-" Justitia locked eyes with Sierra before shattering.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**David – Floor 43 – December 28, 2023 – 22:30**

A bestial roar split the air around them, foreshadowed by the monsters of the forest growing restless and loud. None of the fell creatures of the forest would enter the clearing now that the Griffon had spawned. The raid boss clawed its way out of the massive cave at the opposite end of the «Grand Clearing», its fire-orange eyes shining in the dark. Its fur was matted and rough, adorned with scars and blood and patches of fur. Muscle rippled underneath a massive frame; it was easily thirty feet from beak to tail. Thick, black talons raked at the ground, stirring up the earth. Black wings spanning twice its body length arced up into the air. With a flourish of its head, the Griffon emerged emerged from the cave and began to patrol the edges of the clearing.

"Holy…" Lyra muttered, backing away from the group of raiders she'd just tied together. They were huddled together now and wore only town clothes. The Tank had emptied their inventories completely, trading their equipment for their lives.

"We're not fighting that thing. We've got what we came for," the Tank shouted at the rest of the party. David nodded appreciatively. The Tank was still grinning – two pearl white rows of perfect teeth behind his grizzled, bearded face. The man's rough curled hair bobbed as he ran for the edge of the clearing. "Let's meet with the client and go!"

Sophie shouted her assent, dragging Newbie along behind her as she took off after their leader. Lyra ran up to David, her eyes wide. At the edge of the clearing, the Griffon was tearing into the soft earth, tossing chunks of dirt and grass into the air.

"We need to go," Lyra said. David nodded as she took off, preparing to follow.

"You're just gonna leave us here?" The leader of the raiding group looked up at David and then frantically back at the Griffon; it was slowly walking their way. The lead raider was a tall young man, maybe not even out of high school yet. The rest of the raiding group was fastened against him, ropes binding them and preventing them from moving their arms. "We'll die!"

"We didn't tie up your legs." David cocked an eyebrow, prodding the leader's feet with his katana. "If you want to live, you've got to run. Might be a bit difficult since you're all tied together, but it's possible." David grinned. "It would make for a thoroughly embarrassing sight, though."

"We'll get killed by monsters before we get back to town!" The party's tank shouted. "We can't defend ourselves!"

"Sounds like a personal problem." David shrugged. He took off after Lyra, ignoring the shouts and screams of the group of raiders behind him as the Griffon closed in. Under his breath, David cursed the fact that he'd raised his «Perception» skill so high and prayed the Griffon would kill them quickly. It would be a while before he would stop hearing their screaming.

The rest of the group was farther ahead, heading for the edge of the forest. David dodged around the massive trees, avoiding monsters as he dashed in and out along the rough forest terrain. The underbrush was thick but it was nothing his katana couldn't take care of. Dark green mixed with black and brown as he moved through the forest quickly and carefully. There was a path among the underbrush from where the others had passed through moments before. Faint moonlight shone down in the rare breaks from tree cover.

"Good work, Tank," a familiar voice called. David broke through the tree cover, emerging into a small clearing. They were still about a mile from the edge of the forest. Mist covered the ground, gently wafting out of the way as David stepped through dew-wet grass. The rest of his party was already there, along with their client and his two bodyguards. A trade menu closed and the Tank grinned wide.

Their client was an exotic man with a strong chin and a firm, tight expression. A hood was up, obscuring much of his face, but David could still make out strands of beaded and braided brown hair sticking out. To either side, two men in skull-masks and hoods stood at the ready. They were all relaxed and the client was on the edge of smiling.

"Your information was perfect as usual, PoH." The Tank grinned. He glanced at his inventory again. David could see his boss's eyes sparkling – must have been a lot of gold for the job. Sophie was shifting uncomfortably under the gaze of one of PoH's bodyguards. Newbie smiled like an idiot – if he'd noticed that every player in the clearing was orange aside from himself, he didn't show it in the slightest.

"In addition to what I already gave you, you'll be receiving an additional 30% of the sold item value once I fence them." PoH spoke in a leisurely manner, confident and self-assured enough to take his time. The man's voice was full and possessed a seductive quality that David couldn't ignore. "I trust that ornamented dagger will serve as appropriate collateral until I contact you."

"Of course." The Tank nodded. "It's a pleasure doing business with you."

PoH opened his menu and prepared a teleport crystal. After a moment, he paused, looking up at the Tank and then at the rest of David's party. His gaze lingered overlong on David and a long smile stretched across his face.

"I usually only see Asians in this game," PoH said finally, gesturing at Muscles and at David. "A black man and a European. What're your stories?"

David shrugged. "Muscles isn't very good at Japanese, so don't expect to get much out of him. I was born in America, but I've lived in Japan most of my life. You're foreign yourself, so what's it to you?"

"I like unusual people." PoH's smile was as crooked as it was wide, prompting a chill to run up David's spine. As charismatic and friendly as their client was, David couldn't shake the constant unease he felt around the man.

A soft sound rung through David's head for a moment, his cursor shaking. At the same time, the cursors of everyone in his party turned green, including his own, leaving the only orange players PoH and his bodyguards.

"Looks like the Griffon got to the raiders." The Tank shook his head. "No outside witnesses for our crimes left alive now. We're scot-free."

"Wait, th-they're dead?" Newbie stuttered, his expression changing from goofy to terrified in a moment's notice. The mousey boy stepped back, eyes wide. "I thought they were gonna escape! We weren't going to kill anybody!"

"We didn't kill anyone," the Tank shot back at him. Newbie grit his teeth and David felt Lyra grab his arm. He turned back to her – the girl was shaking slightly, staring at the ground between her feet.

"But they're-" Newbie started.

"They were too weak to save themselves after we robbed them. That's all." The Tank's expression went sour. "We ain't got the time to worry if a couple assholes bite the dust. We gotta focus on helping ourselves, so shut it, Newbie."

"An admirable concept." PoH nodded, one hand on his chin. David could tell their client was thinking hard about something. "Listen, Tank, I've got a proposal to run by you later that you may be greatly interested in. I would greatly appreciate it if you and your friends would hear me out. It will pay very well."

* * *

**Sierra – Floor 49 – December 29, 2023 – 0:03**

Sierra shivered in the near-empty inn room. Shadows ran along the wall every time she shifted herself in bed. Justitia's face stared back at her from the darkness, more vivid now than she ever was in real life. She knew she wasn't getting any sleep tonight.

A soft knock on the door. Sierra struggled to ignore the sound, but it persisted. Half tempted to order the system to block external stimuli from outside her room, Sierra stared at the far wall. She couldn't do anything at the moment except listen to that damned sound.

Her inn room had bare stone walls with little ornamentation, indicative of the rough nature of the vaguely urban town. Just like the rest of the shadowy town of Myujen – the current main thoroughfare of the front-liners – the inn she was staying at was minimalist in design and structure and was a scant three stories high. Looking out her window, Sierra could see some players outside celebrating the holidays.

"Sierra?" The familiar voice called from the doorway.

Sierra lashed out, knocking over a candle holder on the nightstand nearest to her bed. Justitia's face refused to remove itself from her mind. That twisted agony, that cold fear, the echoes of dying moments before the end. If she hadn't taken that duel, she wouldn't be a murderer right now.

"Go away!" Sierra shouted.

"Sierra, I heard what happened from Danat. Can I come in?" The voice was soft and feminine, belonging to a woman Sierra had known for months. "Sierra?"

She stood, hesitating with every step as she stumbled to the door of her room. Sierra cracked it open, peeking out into the hallway. Hikari smiled at her, a soft expression that promised to sooth Sierra if only she'd open up. Sierra sighed, swinging the door wide. Hikari stepped inside gingerly, taking care and paying attention to each and every step. Hikari had always been that way – gentle and graceful in action and thought. The slight Japanese girl a round face and a slight, flat nose. Long brown curls alighted about her face, bouncing slightly as she walked.

If she was in a better mood, Sierra might have poked fun at the shorter girl for showing up at her room late at night. Now, she didn't know if she even wanted Hikari there. As if sensing Sierra's hesitation, Hikari grabbed her hand, pulling Sierra into the room and closing the door behind her.

"Sierra…" Hikari started.

"Before you start," Sierra felt a roughness seep into her voice, a hoarse denial that had been building within her for hours beforehand. "I didn't kill the woman on purpose. It was an ill-timed critical hit. That's all."

"I know." Hikari bit her lip, glancing at the floor. "And before you start worrying about what our guild-mates are going to think, Danat explained the entire situation very clearly. Nobody thinks you're at fault. I suppose we can't blame them if they're all wary around you for a while though. Castor didn't react much when we told him and Pollux has been raising hell trying to find out why nobody helped you deal with that woman."

"I wasn't-" Sierra began, but found herself unsure what to say.

"Regardless, you are an absolute mess!" Hikari protested, grabbing her hand. She led Sierra to the bathroom and snapped her fingers. The bathroom filled with light – a sconce was fastened to the wall, though the lone candle in it should not have been able to brighten a room as much as it did. Sierra stared at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but snicker at her appearance.

Her shoulder-length black hair was matted and mussed. Hikari ran a hand over Sierra's cheek, tracing from her bright-green eyes down to her lips. Her nose still seemed a bit too large and her face was too long – Sierra had tried to correct that back when SAO first started but, unfortunately, everyone had been forced back to their real-life appearance.

"I suppose I am." Sierra sighed. Her eyes were still red and she could see Hikari's concerned expression in the mirror, lips pursed and expression worried. "I wasn't expecting to kill somebody today."

Hikari ran her hands through Sierra's hair, gently massaging her scalp. After a few moments Sierra closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation. For a moment, things almost seemed brighter. Hikari always had that effect on her. When she stopped, Sierra glanced at the younger woman. Hikari pressed herself into Sierra's back – she was shorter than Sierra by a few inches – and buried her face in Sierra's shoulder.

"I'm worried about you, Sierra," Hikari mumbled. A menu appeared in front of Sierra, asking if Hikari had permission to perform a cosmetic change on her.

"You're worried about me, so you want to cut my hair?" Sierra chuckled. "That's so you."

She pressed 'Yes' and Hikari materialized scissors from her inventory. A few unnecessary snips later and Sierra opened her eyes. Hikari had changed her hairstyle, giving her long, flowing black hair. She turned around, noting how the hair brushed past her hips. In real life, it would have been more effort than it was worth to maintain the style, but you didn't get split ends in SAO.

"Jeez," Sierra chuckled, running her hand through her new hair. Hikari dematerialized her styling materials and lay her arms across Sierra's shoulders, pressing her cheek against Sierra's. "That's quite a difference, you know."

"I like girls with long hair better." Hikari smirked playfully. "We don't have to discuss what happened with that woman if you don't want to. But we have to talk anyway. About anything."

"Anything?"

"Yeah. I'm worried about you." Hikari nudged Sierra's sides. "And my brother is busy tonight. You know me – if I don't have someone nearby to bicker at I just start falling to pieces."

"This is you falling to pieces?" Sierra barked out a laugh.

"Come." Hikari pulled Sierra out into the bedroom, vocally ordering off the bathroom lights in the process. The brown-haired Asian dragged Sierra across the room, planting herself on the bed. Hikari patted down a spot next to her, inviting Sierra to lay down. Sierra sat instead.

"I know you won't be able to sleep tonight." Hikari smiled and Sierra couldn't help but catch the sad inflection in her voice. "So let's stay up and get through the night together. That way you don't need to be alone."

"Hikari…" Sierra stopped herself. "It's okay. I'm fine. I don't want to trouble you."

"You won't be troubling me." Hikari smiled, pressing a finger against Sierra's lips. "So please, let's talk. It can be about anything and everything. With that, hopefully we can stave off what happened for just a little while."

* * *

**David – Floor 43 – December 29, 2023 – 6:30**

David did not wake elegantly.

He wrestled with his dreams, tossing and turning heavily. One throw of his body took him a tad too far to the right. His arm slammed against the nightstand, waking him just as he began to slip off the bed. David fumbled with the sheets as he tried to right himself but it was already too late. He could see his immediate future unfold before him. The fight was lost and there was no possible return to the easy luxury of a sleep-filled past now.

Perhaps it was fate? David mused over the thought as his upper body tumbled through the air, anticipating the pain clearly foreshadowed by the short trip down. Was it predetermined that he'd fall here? Was it written in the stars? Was the battle lost before it even began? He resigned himself to the inevitable, accepting all of the choice of his life leading up to this very moment.

David was truly at peace.

And then he face-planted against the hardwood floor.

David lay there a long while, staring under his bed as the remnants of his bed-sheets piled on top of him. At least he'd taken everything down with him – that thought gave him no small sense of satisfaction.

He opened his menu and checked the time; it felt much too early to be waking up. Half past six in the morning and David was already angry at the world. Normally he'd have to wait until a few minutes past breakfast to feel that way.

"Oh hell, whatever." David resigned himself to getting up and searched through his inventory for his day clothes. One advantage of being in a virtual reality was that he could change outfits without actually moving. It was the lazy man's dream.

As he stepped outside his room, it struck him how quiet and calm mornings were; not many players were interested in getting up this early. The main room of the inn was practically devoid of people; the only people present were the NPC innkeeper and Lyra. She sat against the opposite wall from the staircase, wedged in a tight corner between the main entrance and a long, white-painted wall. The wall was adorned with unevenly spaced paintings, each with stranger designs than the last. As David stepped heavily off the staircase, she looked up at him and a hint of a smile curled the side of her mouth.

"Hey," David said, sliding onto the bench across from her. The wood was warped uncomfortably and he found it didn't improve no matter how he shifted himself. The table itself was rough and uneven; he could see a tilt in the level of water in Lyra's cup.

"Good morning," Lyra replied. Her voice was low and weak. David couldn't help but notice redness underlining her pale brown eyes. Lyra's hair was back in a ponytail and her head rested on one arm as she observed David with an empty look.

"Rough night?" He asked, turning to the innkeeper across the room and signaling for service. "You look like shit."

"Looks who's talking." Lyra rolled her eyes. She collapsed onto the table, head in her arms. "I didn't get a wink of sleep last night, you know. Have some sympathy for a pretty young lady."

"Yeah, you are rather young."

"Oho, aren't you clever?" Lyra glared at him, her eyebrows furrowed and her expression thoroughly unamused. David couldn't help but admire her for a second – Lyra certainly wasn't going to win any beauty pageants, but she had an undeniable charm that he found impossible to ignore.

"Actually, you are pretty." David smiled as propped his head up on his hands. Lyra looked up at him, her mouth slightly open and eyes a bit wider than before. A hint of redness played out over smooth white cheeks. "Pretty ugly."

"Asshole."

"What'll it be, good sir?" The NPC's pleasantly inhuman voice rang from the side. It was a scripted line David had heard an uncountably many times from shopkeepers throughout the game. David noticed Lyra ignore the innkeeper completely, focusing instead on some distant horizon.

"Surprise me!" David grinned. The NPC nodded, maintaining a distant and mechanical smile. "Just slap a big slice of whatever on a plate and bring it to me."

"Of course, sir." The innkeeper nodded and walked back to the kitchen. David briefly wondered why the innkeepers and restaurant owners never just materialized the food in front of the players, but he chalked it up to maintaining realism and atmosphere.

"I knew the raiders weren't likely to survive," Lyra began, drawing David's attention back to her. "I mean, it's not like we've never robbed people before, so of course I wasn't going in blind. Out in the wilderness it's pretty much impossible to do anything without any armor or equipment. I just wish we left them a teleport crystal or something."

"Teleport crystals are priced around 2000 Col right now." David thought about it for a moment. "That's almost a month of rent at an inn right there. Why would we give up that much money?"

"I dunno. So people don't die?" Lyra shook her head. "Whatever. You've always been rather cavalier about this so I don't expect you to understand."

"PoH always said that a person's fate is his own fault. People choose their circumstances whether they are conscious of it or not." David turned back towards the NPC innkeeper, running his eyes along the walls separating the main room from the kitchen. Abstract paintings adorned the wall, crudely framed in ill-shaped wood and mounted unevenly. It bothered him that the paintings weren't aligned properly but there was nothing he could do to fix it.

"Is it really that simple?" Lyra lifted her head, following David's gaze. "You've always brushed this stuff off like it doesn't matter. Does PoH really have you convinced?"

"I think what he says makes sense." David shrugged. "Why should I be personally responsible for the failures of others? I'm not murdering anybody when I rob them – if anything I try to keep them alive as much as possible – but if a person cannot save his own life then what fault is it of mine?"

"You know, I love the money. I really do." Lyra sighed, staring up at David. He smiled at her. "But I don't know if I can handle another one of our targets dying on us. The same thing happened last month with all that nonsense in the «Lost Forest»."

"The guy was asking for it," David protested. "The Tank only dropped him off that cliff because he was running his mouth. Who even_ does _that when they're weaponless and armorless and surrounded by hostiles?"

"But did he deserve to die?" Lyra shook her head and David saw tears glinting at the edges of her eyes. "Is PoH really right about all this? Is what we do really okay?"

"Lyra…"

"I just don't know anymore."

* * *

**Sierra – Floor 49 – December 29, 2023 – 8:15**

Sierra lifted her head, surprised that she had managed to fall asleep without realizing it. Hikari curled up next to her, her soft brown hair nuzzling the edge of Sierra's chin. The young woman's chest rose and fell evenly and Hikari was pressed tight against Sierra's body.

"Jeez, woman." Sierra chuckled as she started to pry Hikari off of her. Her grip was iron. Even while asleep the girl's resolve to cling was stronger than steel. Eventually Sierra gave up, laying one arm across Hikari's back over thin cloth pajamas. They were both in their nightclothes, though Sierra didn't remember changing out of her armor.

For a long while she stared at the ceiling, admiring the intricate patterns of white and gray adorning the otherwise unremarkable tiling. Flowers burst into being from abstract visages of wolves and lions and monsters. Birds took to flight, their wings spread wide, ready to emerge into the real world at any moment. Elsewhere, the impressionist shapes of animals gave way to sharp, precise geometric figures that stretched and bent and moved the longer she stared.

The styling was an odd addition to an otherwise plain room and it filled the entirety of the ceiling. It stopped only where the walls met it, forming a vicious barrier between the mundane and the unrestrained. Hikari shifted and Sierra turned her attention back to the girl. Her eyes flickered open and a wide, sleepy smile moved across her face.

"Good morning," she mumbled, stretching in a slow, deliberate motion. Hikari's taut stomach pressed against Sierra's side and the young woman raised her arms over her head. One of her hands alighted Sierra's cheek and Hikari pulled herself up gently, brushing her lips against Sierra's.

"Hello there." Sierra smiled, her own face feeling puffy from sleep.

"How are you feeling?" Hikari asked, her voice like a leaf in the morning breeze.

Sierra returned her gaze to the ceiling, following the lifespan of a few shapes. One emerged from the stark, idealized polygons near the walls, morphing slowly into the less regular shapes that represented reality and then moved off into indistinct impressionism. The full spectrum was realized in the ceiling mural. One shape passed from exactness and solidarity into breath and being, finally resting as a bird with imprecise and expressive wings unfurling in a crescent arc over its small frame.

"I couldn't even begin to say," Sierra said, closing her eyes again.

The two girls lay there for a while longer, enjoying the familiar company of the other. If they could, Sierra knew they'd be there all day, curled up together and talking about nothing at all. But no, Castor and Pollux would be waiting – Hikari had a monster farming party to lead and Sierra had already promised to tag along to teach some of the newer members something about teamwork. At the height of morning, the two girls finally pulled themselves upright and donned their armor.

Hikari's deliberate demeanor failed to predict her favored weapons and armor: a permanently bloodstained two-handed great-axe and some masculine, blackened dragon-hide leather. Hikari favored a one-handed throwing spear in PVP, though their guild didn't fight players very often. Sierra chuckled as Hikari's vicious, bloody great-axe appeared on her back; it was taller than she was.

"Sierra, please don't hesitate to talk to me if you need to," Hikari said once they were in the hall, walking down to the main room. "I'll keep the others off your back as much as I can, but they're probably gonna bombard you with questions regardless."

"It's okay," Sierra responded without looking over at the slender Japanese girl. "They have a right to ask and I have a responsibility to answer."

"I should have gone with you last night."

The unadorned hallway gave way to polished wood stairs and the noise and clamor of a full dining room. Already Sierra saw people walking back and forth. There were NPCs bringing out breakfast plates and eagerly accepting payment, some players leaning against the walls and chattering idly, and even a few NPC children darting underfoot. Eager and rushed conversation from recognizable voices created a familiar din that lightened Sierra's step just a bit.

As she continued to soak it in, however, something felt off about it – there was more rushed whispering than usual and a tad bit of fearful mumbling mixed in with the regular conversation.

It all faded away as she stepped down onto the main floor. Those closest to her fell silent first and the rest of the room gradually followed suit. Familiar faces looked up at her with unfamiliar expressions. Her friends, her family, altogether so very distant.

Sierra gradually looked about the room, taking care to note who met her gaze and who turned away. Hikari laced her fingers through Sierra's, squeezing tight. It was a nice gesture, but it didn't alleviate the slow, crushing feeling building within Sierra's chest.

"Alright, alright." Pollux stood, waving his arms and gesturing at the general crowd of the room – nearly all of them were members of Sierra's guild, the «Eternal Brotherhood». "We've got other things to focus on right now than Sierra and Hikari's personal problems. All of you leave them both alone, you hear me?"

Sierra nodded gratefully at the guild co-leader. She leaned over towards Hikari. "Why would they have to leave you alone?" Hikari shrugged.

Slowly the conversation started to fill the room again. A few people still made furtive glances up at her but for the most part Sierra felt they weren't focusing on her. They seemed oddly frightened, but not about what happened with Justitia. People spoke quietly among themselves, opening menus are scrolling down lists of names. Others leaned against walls or pillars, expressions closed off and uncertain.

"Did something happen?" Sierra asked as she slipped onto a bench next to Hikari. Danat looked up from his menu, his expression discomforting. Disheveled black hair hung over bright blue eyes and his handsome face was marred with worry. "I mean, aside from me killing somebody. It seems I really did a number on everybody."

"It's not that." Danat shook his head, closing his menu and folding his arms. "I guess you two haven't heard."

"Heard what?" Sierra asked. She waved over an NPC waitress and ordered a small coffee. The woman sauntered off, swinging her hips and swishing her light blue dress side to side. A few male players turned to watch the NPC pass.

"Hikari, I…" Danat turned to Sierra's beloved, who shook her head. One of Hikari's eyebrows were cocked – an unusual sight to see. "It's about your brother."

Hikari instantly tensed up. She leaned forward, her voice calm and low. Sierra could hear the hidden panic in her voice where others would not. "What about him?"

"He's… missing." Danat spoke the words as if they were heresy, hesitating at every moment. "The raiding party he led to take out the Griffon on the 43rd floor didn't check in last night or this morning."

"What?" Hikari leaned back and Sierra watched as the girl struggled to process the information. Hell, Sierra was having a hard time herself. "Yūta hasn't messaged the leaders yet? Did something go wrong during the raid?"

"He's cleared that boss a dozen times already," Sierra interjected. "Why would he have any issues now?"

"Pollux has put me in charge of an investigation team," Danat said hurriedly. "I've been running back and forth all morning talking to people to try and figure out if everything went according to plan. Pollux didn't want me to bother you unless I found out anything definitive, but..." The man bit his lip. "They stopped sending in updates around the time to fight the boss. That's expected. But after that they just didn't check back in. At first we just thought the raid was taking a long time, but now…"

"Are you heading down to the floor to take a look?" Hikari asked quickly. Danat nodded. "I'm coming with you. Screw the team-building exercise."

"I'll go as well," Sierra added quickly.

"I pray they're alright." Danat said as he stood. Hikari stared at the table, eyes fixated on a single spot. Sierra would never speak it aloud, not in front of Hikari, but she had a very bad feeling about all of this.

Her instincts were rarely wrong.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**David – Floor 43 – December 29, 2023 – 10:44**

"Aha!" David shouted, pointing his finger at the shady figure inside the weapons shop. Virtual sunlight reflected off glass windows, spraying light around the thin back-alley. The woman flinched, turning slowly. The rustle colors of her long cloak shifted as Argo glared at him, a half-annoyed smile creasing her lips. She still had the make-up whiskers.

"Oh great. You came too," Argo sighed, leaning against the wall of the shop. "You're just what I need on a bad day."

David stepped into the shop. It was a small affair and the walls were lined with all manner of arms and armor. Most of it was of lower quality – bronze and iron and the occasional steel gear – but there were a handful of decent items lurking about. He immediately recognized the subtle aqua curves of a spear mounted on the wall – it was one of Lyra's old weapons, the «Lizard Lord's Trident», from back before she started using the «Demon's Talon». Sophie followed him into the store; the tall older woman had to duck under the low-hanging oaken doorframe.

"Greetings!" The NPC vendor called out. Both David and Sophie ignored him, and he quickly went back to his duties.

"In a bad mood, Argo?" Sophie smiled at Argo, whose expression instantly lit up upon seeing the woman. "You still in a fuss about that Kabuto guy or whoever he was?"

"Sophie," Argo raised her eyebrows at the woman, her whiskers crinkling. "I haven't seen you in person in ages. You got new armor."

"It's not top of the line stuff, but it's pretty decent nonetheless."

It was flashier than Sophie's last set of armor. Before, she'd chosen simplistic iron plate that did little to stand out. Now she wore engraved steel with decals of birds taking flight over the chest. Like most players, she kept «No-Helmet Mode» enabled, so her face wasn't hidden behind a clunky metal visor outside combat. The pauldrons on this new set were much larger as well, with bright, ornamented steel lined along her shoulder. The ornamentation continued in wave-like, indefinite patterns along her armguards and greaves.

David sighed. He'd watched Sophie spend every bit of her earnings from the last job on the armor set. It seemed all of his party-members loved emptying their pockets.

He backed away from the women, letting Sophie do her own thing. It was easier this way. Argo had developed a bit of a distaste for David and there was no sense agitating the information broker, especially when she had vital information on front-line hunting grounds they needed. They talked quietly as David began to inspect the rest of the store, absently trying to figure out if he wanted anything.

His gaze lingered over a bright steel katana, its blade shining bright in the morning sun, tinted with a hint of blue. David tapped the blade, opening a menu that displayed the item stats and cost. It was «Shōwa's Gendaito», with slightly higher stats than his own weapon, the «Osafune». Good stats, but the color on the blade conflicted with the red of his armor. He'd have to think about it.

"So you haven't heard from Kabuto, huh?" Sophie lamented somewhere behind David. He heard Argo sigh audibly.

"It's Kirito. But, you know, I really thought I could have had something going on with him," Argo's voice shivered a bit. "But the only reason he contacted me was to buy information on that Christmas raid boss. I mean, I get that business and information is my shtick, but I don't appreciate being used like that."

"Tell me about it," Sophie chuckled. "But at least you're young! You've got option. Nobody even seems to be my age in this game!"

"There's no point complaining," Argo waved her hand. "You wanted to negotiate price about the hunting grounds, right?"

David fumbled with one of the bows mounted on the wall. He tugged the string, noticing how easy it was to pull it back. His stats were high enough to use the weapon. David opened his menu and navigating to the «Skill Tree», examining his build. He had mainly leveled up the «Curved Blade» skill for offense, but there were a couple points in «Bows» as well. An idea popped up in his head.

"Hey, Sophie," David called. "Think I should pick up a bow as a secondary weapon?"

"If you want," Sophie replied, turning slightly away from Argo. "I mean, Lyra's kind've a toxophilite as it is, but I guess we could always use more ranged support. Weren't you going to get a new katana?"

Argo snorted. "Bows are tricky if you get ambushed by a melee fighter. Your little group is gonna wind up having trouble if David and Lyra get taken out in an attack. You two are the main PvPers of the group, right?"

"We're just monster farmers, not PvPers," David replied. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"So what about the hunting grounds?" Sophie changed the subject abruptly. Argo kneaded her brow with confusion, but she went along with it. The broker switched gears, materializing a map.

David continued checking around the shop while the two women started haggling over price. He saw a throwing spear here, a great-axe there. Not many katanas besides the blue one he'd seen before. A beeping in his ear broke his concentration and David looked down at his menu. A message from the Tank lit up the screen. He tapped it, more interested in checking out the weapons.

'_PoH is no longer __«__Wanted__»__. Get back to the inn after Sophie's little date with Argo. He wants to talk to all of us again. We're looking at a huge payday here.'_

David pondered the message for a moment. If it was another job from PoH, it would probably be a violent one. His eyes wandered over his inventory and felt a dissatisfied twinge as he looked at his pitiful amount of Col. With what he had now he'd be able to get a bow or a new katana, but not much else. Sophie had already blown her earnings on her new armor and the others were likely already in varying states of poverty. He opened the messaging menu, replying to the Tank.

_'Not sure if Lyra will be okay with another job from PoH. Maybe we should take it easy for a while? Monster farming can be profitable too, especially with these hunting ground maps.'_

The Tank's reply was nearly instantaneous.

_'I don't need soft bitches on my team. You get your ass over here and you get Lyra to come as well. That's an order.'_

David sighed. Lyra wouldn't be happy about this at all.

Even so, the speed with which PoH managed to get out of being «Wanted» was remarkable. He must have only been witnessed stealing, unless the witnesses had been caught and… David shivered, thinking of what PoH would have done with them.

The criminal system in SAO would set any criminal offenders as orange unless there were no longer any witnesses to the crime. If a witness reported the crime, the player would become «Wanted». When «Wanted», a player would be stuck as orange and a bounty would be posted as a reward for killing them. Given enough time, however, the bounty would wear off and the player could return to regular society as a green player.

David had never met a bounty hunter before. Somehow he felt he never wanted to.

The jobs from PoH and the rest of his ilk had been growing in number over the last month. They were good money, but the earnings never seemed to last. Rumor had it that certain front-liners from the «Knights of the Blood» had already amassed over ten million Col. David had never seen the north side of twenty thousand and Lyra wasn't much better off.

Lyra would come around. She had to.

"How are you guys managing financially nowadays?" David caught a snippet of Sophie's conversation with Argo. He glanced over; Argo had a hand on her hip and was wearing an odd expression. Sophie blundered over her words as she struggled to respond.

"Farming, of course," David smiled as he lied. Argo looked at him, unamused by how he was talking to her. "There's a neat place in the south-eastern portion of this floor's forest where the monsters drop potions and crystals quite easily."

"Oh really? Would you mind giving me more information?"

"It'll cost ya."

"Oh?" Argo's eyebrow twitched.

David turned to Sophie – for a moment he thought he could see the gray in her hair. Had that always been there?

"Hey, I got a message from the Tank. He wants us to contact Lyra and head back. Apparently we've got a new…" he glanced at Argo, "…job."

* * *

**Sierra – Floor 43 – December 29, 2023 – 10:50**

Hikari's grip around Sierra's hand tightened as they reappeared on the forty-third floor. Llyne materialized around them as the two young women stepped out of the teleporter. It fizzled and sparked, sending blue electricity into the air as they exited. A couple of players walked about nearby. Somewhere off to her right was a group of unevenly armored players talking among themselves. One cracked a joke and the entire group laughed.

Llyne had become alight with holiday ornamentation, much more so than the front lines were. Bright, cheerful decorations colored red and green hung from many of the buildings. Festive lanterns floated in the air, carried by razor-thin string. It had snowed the night before; though the morning sun lit the town, there was still a carpet of pure white over everything.

"We got a message from Argo," Danat stepped in front of Sierra, opening his menu. He, alongside Sierra and Hikari, had changed back into town clothes to avoid being conspicuous. His blue eyes twitched back and forth as he read the message. After a long few moments, he sighed. "That girl isn't very succinct. Takes her an essay to say one thing. She wants to move up the appointment."

"That's convenient," Sierra said, staring at a group of players as she spoke. They were all young – high school students, maybe – and were all very friendly with each other. Many of them sported multi-colored hairstyles – a popular fashion among the youth. Their leader, a young man dressed all in blue, was addressing the rest about something. They seemed thin and vulnerable; easily broken people in a violent world. Somehow they were all smiling.

"She wants to meet right now or else she's charging double."

"Seriously? That's–" Hikari started. A blur struck her and Hikari's hand was forced out of Sierra's. With a confused yelp, her girlfriend fell backwards onto the ground. A boy stumbled in the opposite direction, his eyes wide. He was young, with deep brown eyes and brown hair and sported a pathetically horrified expression.

"Sorry!"

He extended a hand, helping Hikari back up. To her credit, Hikari didn't seem the slightest bit bothered as she patted down her cotton shirt to straighten it. She had more than enough wherewithal to keep from getting angry at every random rude passerby.

"Are you retarded?" Danat snapped at the boy.

Danat, however, did not.

"I'm sorry!" The boy repeated, clasping his hands together and bowing towards Hikari. At least he had nice form. "I didn't see you there, miss. I swear!"

"Be off with you," Danat dismissed him with a quick flick of the wrist, but the boy didn't move. For a moment he stared dumbly at Hikari, and Sierra had to cough back a chuckle. The boy was enamored. A long second later, he finally responded.

"Have any of you seen a girl – like, around my age – with really, REALLY–" his emphasis on the word was borderline ridiculous, "–long blonde hair? I was chasing after her and…" He looked around wildly, eyes wide as if realizing something for the first time. "What? Where the hell am I?"

Hikari gestured at the teleporter behind her. "Town center. Now, if you'll excuse us…"

"Wait!" The boy clasped Hikari's arm. A menu notification appeared in front of her, asking if she was being harassed. She quickly pressed 'No', but maintained wary eye contact with the boy. "My username's Akira, but all my friends call me Newbie. What's yours?"

"Hikari," She bowed to him as she introduced herself, then extended a hand towards Sierra and Danat. "These two are my guild-mates, Sierra and Danat. Now," She turned away from him. "I must be off. Please don't chase around young women."

Akira nodded. He smiled wide and took off running.

"What an odd boy." Danat grumbled. Hikari shrugged.

The designated meeting place with Argo was an out-of-the-way coffee shop near the edge of town. It was a miniscule affair with barely enough room to fit the four people. The informant was the only player in the shop when they entered and she sat cross-legged against the far wall, sipping a cup of coffee with a furrowed brow and deep frown.

Danat sat directly opposite of Argo and Hikari chose the spot at his side. Sierra lingered near the door, watching for any passersby. It was a usual precaution – they knew better than to allow themselves to be overheard.

"My apologies for moving the meeting up so suddenly." Argo didn't as much as look up at them. "I had one of my more irregular clients prematurely end an appointment."

"Argo," Hikari smiled at her. "How have you been? You look a bit rough."

The broker paused before responding, "How bad of a poker face do I have if everybody can tell when I'm mad about something?" Argo sighed. "It's nothing, really. Just have some love issues."

Argo flipped back her hood, revealing a mess of short brown hair. Sierra couldn't help but notice how tired the broker seemed – there were large gray bags under her eyes and her cheeks were puffy from exhaustion. Definitely unusual for the normally stoic and put-together young woman.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Hikari queried, but Argo shook her head.

"No. It's best if we got to business." The broker opened her menu and materialized a sheet of paper. "I took the liberty of going down to the guardhouse and getting a copy of the bounty list. I'm already looking into several names on the list, but there's nothing here, really."

"Nothing?"

"A couple accidental murderers. A few small-time thieves." Argo shook her head. "For an entire raiding party to disappear would require an organized effort, and that's just not something that happens. Orange players don't seem to want to work together enough for that."

"Is it possible Y_ū_ta lost against the Griffon?" Danat suggested. Sierra noticed Hikari gripping the edge of the table hard. "It may not be the work of any players."

"We don't even know if he's dead," Hikari protested.

"See, a few days ago, that's what I would have assumed." Argo looked up at the ceiling, a troubled look crossing her young face. "A couple of people disappear on a raid. No big deal. Happens all the time." She glanced quickly at Hikari. "Sorry. I don't mean to be rude. I just mean that this isn't an unusual situation. I've already checked with the guardhouse and there's no death record for the players, so nobody witnessed them being murdered or anything like that."

"I just want to know if my brother is still alive."

"I understand that." Argo nodded. "Just hear me out. If the players were attacked –" Sierra noticed Argo's careful avoidance of the word 'killed', "–by someone else and the crime was witnessed and reported, we wouldn't be in the situation of not knowing what happened. If anything happened, all signs point to monsters."

Hikari looked down at the table. Sierra knew it wasn't what the girl wanted to hear. In the virtual world, there were no corpses. While there was a list of all 10,000 names of players one the first floor, there was no real way to tell if a person was alive or dead aside from the «Death Registry» distributed at guardhouses. People vanished all the time. Sometimes they would reappear months later. Mostly they didn't.

"The thing is, I've been hearing some things on the street." Argo continued. "I've got a client from one of the clearing guilds in a similar situation as you, so I've already been looking into things like this. People have been disappearing more and more frequently, and these are bigger and bigger groups of players with high levels and good equipment. The sales of PVP weapons like bows and spears have been significantly higher lately as well; high tier weapons, even. And there have been… rumors."

"Rumors?"

"Of organized PKers. The first of their kind," Argo shook her head. There was a palpable tension in the young information broker. "And it looks like, whoever they are, they're going to make a move soon."

* * *

**David – Floor 43 – December 29, 2023 – 11:00**

"Excuse me?" David turned about at hearing the call, closing the message window he had open to talk to Lyra. The voice was meek and light. A young teenager stood behind him, her blonde hair reaching almost to her knees. Sky-blue eyes stared up at him, wide and full of wonder. She was wearing a simple brown cloth dress – not much better than David's own pathetic selection of cheap clothing.

His eyes widened in recognition.

"Emilia?" No, it wasn't her. Couldn't be her.

"Where is Heaven?" The girl asked, tilting her head as she spoke.

"Huh?"

"David! Hurry up!" Sophie shouted at him. He glanced back down the cobbled road at the woman. Sophie had summoned so much impatience that the entire might of her six-foot-plus frame seemed barely able to contain it. "I don't want to leave the Tank waiting! He'll start smiling and laughing and nobody wants that!"

"I know!" David called back. Then, to the girl, "What do you mean by–" He stopped. She was gone. David looked up and down the street but there was no trace of her. A couple of players around his own age ducked into an alley nearby but, aside from them and Sophie, David was alone.

He jogged over to Sophie, shaking his head and wondering what he'd seen. Her resemblance to Emilia was uncanny, but that was impossible.

Right?

They walked for a while towards the town center. Llyne was in an awkward in-between phase as far as towns went. Not quite a front-line floor anymore. Not quite a mid-range floor. People of all types walked the roads. Merchants and blacksmiths and craftsmen. Poets and musicians and artists. Rogues and warriors and strategists. As David grew closer to the central clearing where the teleporter lay, he watched the trickle of people become a wash of all different races, play styles and levels. As the morning ran on, stalls had begun being set up on the snow-swept sides of the roads. The shouts of player vendors filled the air – prices and souvenirs and boasts. Everywhere the clink and clash of Col. Smiling faces and merry conversation.

Here, a group of three somber players talking quietly together. There, a group of high school students loudly laughing and jeering at each other as they told bawdy jokes. A group of women stumbling together through the streets, already drunk despite it being the morning. All around him, David could feel the life and the vibrancy of humanity brought together by the coming New Year.

"Don't you hate it?" Sophie leaned over towards him, her severe lips pressed into a thin line. "All these people are celebrating like fools."

"Well, it is New Year's Eve soon," David shrugged.

"It's escapism," Sophie said, shaking her head. "It isn't productive."

"No, it isn't."

They found themselves enveloped in a crowd of people. Sophie, who towered over many of the people, led the way. David did his best to follow, but the crowd seemed intent on moving in the opposite direction. The merry sound of flutes and drums greeted him to his left. He struggled through the tide of people but found he just couldn't progress.

A man in heavy plate bumped into him, knocking him down. He got no apology and the man disappeared into the crowd soon enough. He struggled to his feet, confused as to how there could possibly be so many people there.

"Where is Heaven?" A familiar voice in the crowd. David spun around but couldn't see anything. Too many bodies.

Soon enough the crowd of people passed, leaving David standing alone near the teleporter. Once again, Sophie had left him behind. She stood near the inn on the opposite side of the clearing, waving her hands towards him. The girl with the blonde hair was nowhere to be found. Reluctantly, and with one last quick sweep of the town center to check for her, he walked over to the tall woman.

"Hey, Sophie," David asked when he got close. She raised an eyebrow. "You know where Heaven is?"

"Dunno. It certainly isn't here."

The Tank was already inside the tavern with the rest of the group. PoH had joined them – alone this time – and was wearing regular clothing instead of the usual hooded cloak and skull mask. Lyra sat sullenly in the corner, making room for David as he walked over. Sophie squeezed in between the Tank and Muscles, who was silently surveying one of the crooked wall paintings. Newbie was absent, but that wasn't too big a deal. It's not like his opinion carried any weight. Once everyone was seated, the innkeeper NPC brought out a large selection of food, courtesy of PoH.

"I'm very grateful you all are willing to hear me out again." PoH smiled cheerfully, slicing into a large slab of boar meat. Now that David could finally see the man's eyes, they were a lot friendlier than he'd expected. They were brown and somewhat slanted, accentuating PoH's exotic appearance. It was hard to pinpoint his race.

"If the money's right, we'll do pretty much anything," the Tank grinned as he forked over a steaming slice of garlic bread, "so let's hear the job."

David looked around the tavern. Even in the middle of the day there were several players already drinking. They weren't at risk of being overheard – PoH had set their dining booth to be muted and the chances of a character with a «Perception» skill high enough to overhear them was slim.

"I'd like you all to join my guild," PoH lightly cut a piece of meat, pausing in his speech as he chewed. "It's been a small band so far, with just me and some close friends. But now I want to expand."

"You want to pay us to join a guild?" Lyra asked. David could feel relief in her voice. So they weren't being contracted to hunt down more players after all.

"What's the point?" The Tank tore off a hunk of bread in his mouth, talking around the food. "It's not like you and your skull-mask buddies are friends of ours. I prefer to keep at a…" He paused for a moment, thinking, "…professional distance."

PoH nodded. Lyra had started hesitantly sipping a bowl of soup, her gaze fixated on their client. Sophie seemed content ignoring the conversation and Muscles was as unreadable as usual. David didn't particularly want to join a guild, but if the pay was good…

"It isn't an official guild," PoH smiled. "We won't be on any registry and our members will be free to join any other guild they please, so long as they remember where their loyalties lie. I refer to it as a guild simply because there's no other word for what I want."

"And what do you want?" Lyra interjected, her eyes narrowed.

"An organization," PoH seemed surprised she even asked. "And a vehicle to make money, just like all of you."

"You mean you want to rob people."

PoH shook his head, "You've got it all wrong. This guild would be furthering the progress of all of us trapped humans. Don't think of it as robbing. Think of it as redistribution. We take from the weak so that the strong may survive and clear the game faster. Forming this informal guild would allow us to trade information quicker, to give support to each other, and to assign contracts and payment in a much more efficient way. All of you will have fuller pockets and everyone will be better off."

"If I'm not gonna have to slap a moniker on my name and we're gonna get paid for it…" The Tank pondered it. "I'd say I'm fine with it."

"Same," Muscles uttered his singular word and turned back to his food. Sophie nodded.

"But–" Lyra looked at David.

"If it's good money…" He shrugged. Defeated, Lyra looked away.

The conversation took a turn into working out the fine details. David mostly stayed out of it, watching in a half-amused manner as the Tank haggled prices with PoH and extracted as much information as he could out of the man. «Laughing Coffin» would be the unofficial guild's name. It would comprise of PoH, his two bodyguards and several of the upper-floor highwaymen groups, including David and his friends. They would get paid on assignment from PoH and would regularly have jobs available to take.

"The goal of «Laughing Coffin» boils down to efficiency," PoH explained, a content look on his handsome face. "For one, it keeps the orange players out of each other's hair. It also allows us to share news and information about prime targets and suitably profitable ventures. Having a larger group at the ready would also mean we can support each other more easily, especially if someone became «Wanted» and a bounty is put out on them. We don't want precious guild-mates dying on us, of course."

Lyra kept silent throughout the entire speech. The Tank lapped it up, while the rest of the group seemed mostly neutral. Money was their sole objective – that's why David joined up in the first place. After all, he needed to get to the front lines.

"And besides, we would not be acting out of a specific intent to kill people," PoH directed this comment at Lyra especially. "The goal is not murder. It is simply to steal and make money to better ourselves. After all, we can't possibly progress humanity's struggle in Aincrad by meandering about mid-level floors with poor equipment and zero cash."

"And if people die?" Lyra responded, her voice sullen and low.

"Then they deserved it. The weak deserve no mercy. Only the strong can lead humanity to freedom."

It took another few hours to hammer out the details completely. The Tank was told to list several of the other criminal group's leaders as friends, which he did eagerly. Before PoH got up to leave, he passed the Tank a note detailing instructions on where to meet him the next day. There, the rest of the guild would come together and they'd discuss their first job.

As PoH was exiting the tavern, David ran up to him.

"PoH," David folded his arms. "Where is Heaven?"

The exotic man raised an eyebrow, but if he was otherwise thrown off by David's question, he didn't show it. David didn't break eye contact with him. They stared at each other for what seemed like a long time, though it couldn't have been longer than a few seconds. When PoH finally replied, David found that he had bated his breath.

"Heaven is where you make it."

* * *

**Sierra – Floor 43 – December 29, 2023 – 13:13**

The Griffon let out one last, long cry, leaning back on its hind legs before falling forward. Its massive body slammed into the earth, sending up clouds of dust. Its dead body settled down, bleeding from dozens upon dozens of wounds.

One of the other guild-mates let out a cry, holding up a new spear. The raiding group had been a bit late to organize, but Castor had managed to put together a half-decent team for the job. Even without Y_ū_ta and the other regulars, the Griffon was taken down without too much difficulty. The raid had lasted longer than expected, but there were no casualties.

"Sierra!" Hikari jogged over to her, opening up a trade menu and sending over a sabre to her.

"What's this for?" She asked, accepting the trade. "I barely helped."

"It was my share of the reward," Hikari shrugged. "But I don't need it."

Sierra materialized the new weapon – it was shorter and had a thinner blade than her scimitar did. Fanciful writing decals ran along the base of the blade and the handle leather had polished gold trimming. She looked over the technical details of the weapon. It was called the «King's Cavalry Sabre» and was significantly less durable than her scimitar; she'd have to be careful when using it.

"Thanks."

Hikari wandered off towards Danat to help him with scavenging the area for more drops, leaving Sierra alone with her thoughts. Though it was probably not Hikari's intent, the gift of the sabre had brought dark thoughts to Sierra's mind. It was a high-crit weapon, meant to deal out high-damage attacks.

The game had made murderers out of many of the players – Sierra wasn't the first and she certainly wasn't the last. But no matter what she tried to do to forget, Justitia's horrified face was burned into her memory. Her twisted, uncomprehending horror. Her resignation just before the end. Her last word was an inconsequential "you". No one would ever know what she had tried to say. Sierra slid down against the tree, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands.

"Where is Heaven?" Sierra turned towards the voice. A young girl in a simple cloth dress stared down at her, her long blonde hair shifting slightly in the breeze.

"I'm sorry?" Sierra stood quickly. "Who are you?"

"The young man said he was going to Heaven," the girl said, pointing to the opposite end of the clearing, the furthest point from the Griffon's cave. "He said it somewhere around there, but there is no place called Heaven in this game. Where is it?"

"Who…?"

"You don't know either." The girl sighed, then disappeared.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Argo – Floor 43 – December 29, 2023 – 20:57**

The broker bit her lip, chewing on it absently as she leafed through the «Death Registry» for the eleventh time. The light in her inn room was sparse, so she could only see the papers due to the light emanating from a lone candle at the corner of the desk.

She'd specifically requested a room with a table so she could check this over. The registry wasn't much to look at – just casualty reports for the last month. A list of usernames, times and causes of death. She opened up her menu and pulled up her private messages. She'd already read the message from Lind more times than she cared to admit.

_'The users that were on the __«Lost Forest» hunting trip are as follows: RedSCAR, S3XYB345T, xxNobunagAxx, Ergos, MothraL, Naieme. Please inform me if you make any progress on the investigation.'_

She ran her eyes over the «Death Registry» one more time, but found only five names: S3XYB345T, xxNobunagAxx, Ergos, MothraL, and Naieme. Small red markings next to their names indicated them as killed by monsters around 17:30 on November 20, 2023.

RedSCAR's name was missing from the list. As Lind had told her when they met up on Christmas, it had been over thirty days they'd disappeared. The hunting party from the «Divine Dragon's Alliance» had vanished in the depths of the «Lost Forest» on Floor 42.

According to Lind, the group had been hunting «Death Riders», a type of mounted mob that was notable for dropping a unique, wicked black spear that was highly desirable: the «Demon's Talon». Argo couldn't help but note that the «Demon's Talon» was a powerful PVP weapon, something Lind had neglected to mention.

If RedSCAR had been killed by monsters in the «Lost Forest», his name would be on the town registry with the others. She looked over the pages one more time just to be certain, then opened up her message window and looked for Lind's name again.

_'I'm going to have to up my price. After looking into the disappearance more, I have a feeling this will get dangerous. As it stands, I doubt that RedSCAR is the murderer, which leaves him as either murdered or missing.'_

It was a tenuous 'or'. Argo couldn't just put aside the possibility that the man had fled into seclusion after being traumatized by the deaths of his comrades. While certainly not impossible to kill, «Death Riders» could be dangerous in groups. If the mob farmers hadn't been clearing the «Lost Forest» in a patterned, careful manner, it was possible that the «Death Riders» may have gotten the drop on them. Alternatively, they'd been robbed and the monsters had come upon them in a helpless, naked state.

So many if's, or's, and maybe's. Argo swore to herself. She was an information broker – she had to be as exact as possible or she was effectively useless. She tossed the «Death Registry» back onto the desk, watching as the papers randomly fell about the table.

Lind had already tried contacting RedSCAR by sending multiple messages. There had been no reply. If a player's name didn't appear on the «Death Registry», there was no way to know if they were alive or not if they weren't responding.

Argo's eyes flicked instinctively back to a particular name on her list of contacts. She opened up the message she last sent to him, dated December 25th.

_'I know this isn't like me, but I'm worried about you, Kii-bou. How did the raid go? Merry Christmas.'_

There had been no response, even though she sent the message on Christmas Day. Argo knew from several sources that a mysterious swordsman in black and a bunch of «Fuurinkazan» had cleared the «Nicholas the Renegade» raid boss on Christmas Eve. They'd even defeated the «Divine Dragon Alliance» in a duel to claim the «Divine Stone of Returning Soul». Even so, she feared for Kii-bou's sake. She looked over another message, this one sent from Klein, the leader of «Fuurinkazan».

_'Kirito is alive. He's in bad shape, though. Wouldn't tell me why. Why do you ask?'_

She hadn't responded.

Argo tipped her chair back, pressing her feet against the wall to try to balance on the chair's hind legs. There was too much going. There was always too much going on. This was her business, after all. This was how she contributed to humanity's progress – by securing information and investigating the game. This was her purpose.

But now there was the threat of organized PK groups, raid groups disappearing left and right, players vanishing with no explanation. There were even rumors of bands of orange players. Nothing substantiated, of course. Otherwise she wouldn't be in this position.

Instances of criminal activity in «Sword Art Online» had been limited so far, for the most part. The occasional Sleep PK, accidental murder, robbery or so on. It was nothing the «Army» or the clearing guilds couldn't handle. In particularly tough cases, Argo had been called in to assist in investigating what happened so that one of the guilds could dispense justice appropriately. Overall, in the year since the game had started, crime had been relatively low. The constant threat of death imposed upon all players seemed to have dulled people's drive to be evil. Many high-profile players like Heathcliff of the «Knights of the Blood» or Seraphim of the «Ghosts» had made claims that their common struggle was making a united people.

Argo found that idea laughable.

It wasn't often that she needed help, but the heat was on her from several different angles right now. Between investigating RedSCAR's disappearance and maintaining her «Strategy Guide», there was simply too much to do. Argo ruffled her own hair, utterly unsure what to do.

_'Hey, Sophie. I could use a cool head right about now. Could I run a few things by you?'_

She sent the message and opened her inventory, materializing a cigarette. She paused, looking at the thin cylinder of paper in her hand. There had been a large controversy surrounding «Sword Art Online» when it was announced that certain drugs like alcohol and tobacco would appear in the game. When questioned by the media about the wisdom of including these substances, Kayaba Akihiko reportedly said: "Tobacco is a plant native to North America. If I was going for a historically accurate, medieval drug for my game, I would be sticking opium into the system and designing a neural mapping program that simulated the consumption of opioids. I think tobacco and alcohol is a significantly lesser problem." The thinly-veiled threat did little to deter enthusiasm about the game, though certain 'Mom's Against Video Games' groups certainly got their knickers twisted about it. No amount of controversy could have stopped «Sword Art Online» from launching.

Argo lit the cigarette, taking a long drag and leaning further back in her chair. Ask her a year prior and Argo would have said that she'd never allow herself to pick up the habit. Now she knew otherwise.

Holding in the smoke from the cigarette, her vision went black as blood rushed to her head. Distraction by the head rush, her feet pushed a little too far off the wall. She tumbled backwards, slamming her back into the floor of her room and sending her lit cigarette skittering across the floor. Argo coughed as the wind was forced from her lungs, sending a fine smoke into the air.

As she lay on the ground, uncertain if she wanted to get up yet, a message popped up on her menu. It was from Sophie. Briefly Argo wondered what her real name was.

_'Sure, Argo. I'm always here to talk if you need it.'_

Argo reached for her cigarette, only to realize it was just out of reach.

_'Great. Thanks. I was wondering if you've heard anything about PKers lately.'_

* * *

**Akira – Floor 43 – December 29, 2023 – 21:00**

Akira leaned against the wall of the smithy, watching as a paper lantern floated up into the night sky. If it was clear out tonight, he'd be able to see the myriad of unique constellations splayed out above him, each one unique and different from anything you'd see from Earth. They alleyway was dank and dark, but Akira found he didn't mind the peaceful atmosphere.

A group of high school students walked past, their hair dyed crazy colors. The one in front wore a fanciful and elaborate matching blue dress shirt and cloth pants, his hair a flared spectrum of blue. The others were less flashy and all of them seemed focused intently on the blue young man.

"-which is when I took my sword and WHAM!" The blue guy stopped suddenly, flinging his arms out forward. One of the girls shrieked in faux shock while the others gasped accordingly. "The Kobold's head went flying. And that's how I got this sweet rapier." He drew an elaborate gold and silver rapier. "It's called the «Midnight Espada Ropera»."

Several of the others cooed. Akira couldn't help but admire the sword as well – it was a fancy and expensive-looking piece. A thin blade met seamlessly with a swept hilt and carved handle. He looked at his own weapon, a simple «Adventurer's Short Blade». It was nowhere near the quality of Lyra's «Demon's Talon» or the Tank's «Hellfire Bidenhänder».

A simple ringing in his ear alerted him to a new message from David.

_'The meeting with the rest of the new guild is starting soon. Get to the place the Tank told you about, Newbie.'_

He'd never be able to shake that stupid nickname. He'd even introduced himself to that beautiful girl as Newbie, too. He was such an idiot, running into her like that and knocking her over. That man with them with the scary eyes had even called him a retard!

He'd never get a girl like Hikari or Lyra. Not like this.

He heard giggling at the end of the alleyway. Akira looked up to see several of the girls in blue-man's group looking back at him and smiling. He started to smile back before he noticed the blue-haired guy's wide, mocking grin. A few whispers and the girls tittered again. A moment later, the leader of their group signaled at his posse and they disappeared around the corner.

Akira sighed, kicking a rock down the alleyway.

"Where is Heaven?"

Akira yelped, jumping at the voice and turning suddenly. The blonde girl in the brown dress stared at him, her head tilted in wonder, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. She leaned slightly towards him, her hands clasped behind her back.

"Oh, it's just you, Emi." Akira sighed. "You scared me."

"Scared?" Emi shook her head. "I… scared… you?"

"Yeah, you know, you came out of nowhere." Akira smiled, standing up straight and looking down at the girl. She looked to be only a year younger than he was. "Hey, wait, I've been looking for you all day! Where'd you go? And what's all that stuff about heaven?"

"I want to find it!" Emi puffed her cheeks, her brow furrowing in annoyance. "And you were no help! No help at all!"

"Uh, I, well…" Akira scratched his head. "It's a vague question. I mean, I guess it's… up there?" Akira pointed a finger up towards the sky lamely, an uncertain laugh escaping his lips.

"There?" Emi pointed one arm straight in the air, stretching her body upwards. Akira glanced at her stomach, at subtle curves hinted at under the simple brown dress. He blushed and looked away quickly. The empty air above her head seemed to shimmer in the night.

"Well, I mean…" Akira paused. "Maybe?"

"You're still no help!" The blonde girl stamped her foot and turned tail. Emi ran down the alleyway at full speed away from him. Her bare feet kicked up specks of dirt on the wet, slushy ground of the alleyway. Akira sped after her but knew already he couldn't keep up.

"Hey wait!" Akira shouted after her, but when he rounded a corner after her, she was gone.

He sighed yet again. Just when he'd found Emi again, she'd disappeared just as quickly. He'd met her first while he was taking a walk near the edge of town earlier in the day, trying to forget about the events from the night before. She had approached him confidently, demanding to know where Heaven was. How was he supposed to answer a question like that?

Slowly, Akira started heading towards the town walls, resigning himself to finally go to the meeting with the rest of his party members. They'd all decided without him to join some guild under PoH and tonight was when they'd meet all the other members.

Akira thrust his hands into his wool jacket pockets. He should be used to being ordered around by the Tank or by David by now. After nearly two weeks of being part of the group, the nicknames hadn't stopped. The jeering about his lack of combat experience hadn't stopped. Sophie's quiet sighs or David's disapproving stares never seemed to go away. Even Muscles didn't seem to like him and Muscles hardly said anything!

He knew they were robbers when he signed up. He'd met Lyra back in the early days of the game and they'd partied together to survive on the first floor. When she notified him that her group needed an extra person and that they were willing to train him to PVP, he'd eagerly jumped on board. What he hadn't expected was that they were killers.

Or that Lyra was so close to David.

A few minutes of walking later and he was exiting the town. Dark, flat farmlands stretched out along the plains, dappled with the occasional patches of bright white crops where light from the moon broke through the clouds. He saw the farmhouse in question to the northeast of town, light shining through a handful of small windows, and started slowly making his way towards it.

Two guardsmen hung around the entrance of a large barn, staring at Akira suspiciously as he approached. One of them was clad in full steel plate and hadn't bothered to turn on «No-Helmet Mode». A massive broad-bladed claymore was strapped to his back. The other man had a bow slung over a shoulder and was clad head-to-toe in what looked to be thick lizard-skin leather. His face was mean and confident as he stared down at Akira.

"I'm with the Tank." Akira said quietly, well aware of how pathetic and meek his voice sounded. One of the guards snickered and motioned for him to head inside.

The interior of the barn was simplistic. Most of the stalls had been ripped out, allowing for a large, open area along the floor. There was a wooden platform on the other end of the room where someone could easily address a crowd of people. What seemed to be around thirty people milled about. A couple were orange players – «Wanted», most likely – but the majority were green. Likely they were all criminals, from what Akira had heard.

Akira locked eyes with David and felt his heart twinge. Lyra was leaning against one of the far walls, blushing and looking down at the ground. David was smiling at her, leaning in closer than Akira would have liked. He had his red ball in his hand, gesturing with it like he was explaining something. When Akira entered the room, David started to stalk towards him. The more experienced player's brow was furrowed and his gaze was sharp.

"You're late, Newbie."

* * *

**Hikari – Floor 43 – December 29, 2023 – 21:32**

"Yūta…" Hikari gripped her heart over her shift, staring at the messages displayed in her menu. Behind her, she heard Sierra snoring and could tell already that her girlfriend had repositioned herself to take up the entire bed.

_'Onii-san, please message me back. I'm worried to death about you.'_

She'd known something like this could have happened from the moment Castor assigned Yūta as a raid leader. Her brother was a competent leader and a powerful player. He'd more than proven himself capable. Their raids had brought in an incredible amount of money to the «Eternal Brotherhood», almost single-handedly propelling them from a mid-level guild to a front-line guild.

Sure, they were new on the scene. It would be a while before the «Knights of the Blood» or the «Divine Dragon Alliance» accepted them, but it was happening slowly. Castor had already scheduled a coordinated raid for next week with «Fuurinkazan» against one of the newly-discovered front-line raid bosses. If all went well, the «Eternal Brotherhood» would finally be accepted as a clearing guild.

But without Yūta, one of their strongest raiders…

Hikari shuddered. If he was dead, their family would have already been notified. They would be grieving right now and Hikari would have no clue. How would her little sister Aiko handle this? Or her parents? They'd have lost their son for a second time, this time with no hope of seeing him safely home. They'd be shivering in fear that at any point their oldest daughter could be taken away from them too. Hikari could hardly bear the thought. She blinked away tears and shook her head. There was no point dwelling on this now.

Down below her balcony, she could see people still celebrating in the courtyard. A large Christmas tree was still set up, its branches completely filled with ornaments and tinsel. A few players had thrown together a band with a few of the in-game instruments, playing some make-shift soft jazz with some medieval-themed flutes and string instruments.

It was a rare treat, one that soothed Hikari's heart just a bit. In the year since the death game began, the trapped players had started to form coherent communities. Permanent residents often sprung up on each floor. With nearly 8,000 players still in the game, the spread of people over the current 49 floors was thick enough for people to be present in large numbers on most floors. According to one of the information brokers, nearly all of the non-players in Aincrad were situated in Starting City. However, that still left thousands of people distributed over the rest of the floors.

Llyne was one of the more popular towns on the upper reaches of Aincrad because of its idyllic farmlands and quaint, clean buildings. With the exception of the forest that bordered the edges of the floor, most of the area was peaceful.

Yūta might be out there, or he might not.

"Hiiikariii," Sierra wrapped her arms around Hikari from behind. "You should be sleeping."

"Says you." Hikari sighed, laying her hands over Sierra's. "This day's been a nightmare. Between Y_ūta's disappearance_ and the investigation and everything else… I just don't know what to think anymore."

"Yeah, you and me both." Sierra broke away from her, leaning on the railing of the small balcony. Hikari looked her girlfriend over – her waist-length black hair swayed slightly in the night breeze, her sharp green eyes glittering in the dark. Sierra's plain cloth shirt hung down just past her hips, revealing her long, bare legs. Sierra had a thoughtful expression as she stared at the town around them.

"You ever think we're gonna get out of this game?" Sierra ran a finger along the balcony, examining it for dust that would never be there. "Seems like we're clearing floors slower and slower sometimes."

"I-" But Hikari paused, her curiosity suddenly piqued. Hikari thought about it for a moment. Were they really clearing floors slowly? She mentally worked through the math involved. "Well, we were trapped here on November 6th of last year. That's about 59 weeks ago."

"How do you-" Sierra started, but Hikari shushed her, still working through the numbers.

"The current front line is floor 49. So 59 divided by 49 weeks per floor, or about 1.2 weeks to clear a floor." Hikari smiled at Sierra, but then furrowed her brow again. "Invert that, six fifths, and you get five sixths, or 0.8ish floors per week. We're not doing too badly."

Sierra burst out laughing. It was a bright, cheerful, and loud sound; Hikari found herself smiling at the taller girl in appreciation.

"Christ, I will never understand how you do that." Sierra shook her head. A mischievous look crossed her face. "What's 9.1 times 14.2?"

Hikari pondered it for a few moments, then smiled. "129.22. And I told you how I do it. My parents ran a shop and they always made me balance the checkbook. I'm just good with numbers."

"No, you're smart is what you are." Sierra grinned, ruffling Hikari's hair. She ran her hand down Hikari's cheek. "Smarter than me, at least."

"You don't need to be smart to run numbers. It's just patterns." Hikari wrapped a hand around Sierra's. "And besides, you're street-smart. You're better than me in a fight any day."

"That's because all you do is smash stuff with your ridiculously huge axe. What is that thing called anyway, the «Blood Lord's Battle-axe»? You gotta learn some finesse, Hikari. Be graceful in combat like you are normally."

"Pssh. Graceful." Hikari shook her head. "I'm about as graceful as a platypus."

"How are the noble platypi not graceful?" Hikari stifled a chuckle and found herself smiling stupidly.

"It's platypuses! Platypi is incorrect." Hikari poked Sierra in the stomach. "It's like how the plural of forum is fora, not forums. And everybody always gets that wrong!"

"All right, you nerd." Sierra grabbed Hikari's hand, gesturing towards the bed. "You know, we really should get some sleep. We've got a million things to do tomorrow. We've got to continue the investigation and then get back to Floor 35 to prepare for the New Year's party."

"You're right." Hikari squeezed Sierra's hand. "And thank you."

"For what?"

"For cheering me up." Sierra blushed and nodded, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck.

"Hey, it's what I'm here for."

* * *

**Sophie – Floor 43 – December 29, 2023 – 21:59**

_'PKers? You mean player killers?'_

_ 'Yeah. I've been doing some research lately and I'm starting to get worried. There might be some organized crime starting to emerge. Several guilds have contacted me trying to figure out what's going on. You heard anything?'_

_ 'No, nothing at all.'_

Sophie stared at the packed dirt floor of the barn, ignoring the whispers and hushed conversation of the other players. David was, of course, near Lyra. She was obviously upset about something and Sophie could tell that David wasn't doing a very good job cheering her up. Newbie sulked against a far wall, staring at the two college students. Sophie smiled sadly at that – Newbie's crush on Lyra was painfully obvious to everybody except Lyra, who was too old for him anyway. The Tank was laughing loudly with one of the orange players – one of the few not withdrawn in the room. Muscles was absent.

Many of the orange players kept to themselves, understandably suspicious of the people around them. They were probably «Wanted» and were wary of bounty hunters. After all, they could get attacked by a green player with no consequence. She looked over the messages from Argo again, suddenly feeling very heavy. She'd been talking back and forth with the broker all day and she couldn't stamp out her growing unease.

_'There's been a lot of suspicious activity lately, especially with one incident in the «Lost Forest» last month. I figured that since you guys have been doing raids and monster farming in some of the nearby floors, maybe you've seen or heard something.'_

_ 'Sorry, Argo. We haven't heard anything.'_

_ 'Even so, I was wondering if I could shoot some of my theories at you and see what you think. You're always a pretty level-headed person, at least with me. Makes me wonder why you party with assholes like David and the Tank.'_

_ 'They're good people if you get to know them. I think.'_

_ 'Haha. Sounds like you aren't convinced. C'mon, Sophie. You should consider my offer and help me out with the «Strategy Guide». I could always use an extra hand. Running around and collecting info on my own is tough!'_

_ 'I'll think about it. The Tank's got a pretty good payday coming up, though. Some rich «Army» official wants us to get ahold of a unique katana for him. A few days of farming mobs and we'll be set for the front-lines.'_

The lie had hurt when she said it, but she couldn't tell Argo about «Laughing Coffin». Argo was such a sweet young girl underneath the cold, business exterior she'd managed to build up. Sophie couldn't bear the thought of exposing who she really was to the broker.

"Brothers and sisters!" A rousing voice from the raised platform. Sophie saw the barn doors close. PoH owned the building – she'd heard so from a few hushed conversations between other players in the room – and had set the entire inside of the barn to be a silent zone. Guards patrolled the outside to keep away curious players with high «Perception» skills.

Sophie cringed. Players like Argo.

Immediately, the entire room full of players turned its focus on the Japanese-American man addressing them. His hood was down, his eyes bright and his smile wide. His arms were up in the air, calling complete attention to himself. PoH was an incredibly handsome young man with a hard jawline and radiant, expressive features. A long scar ran down the right side of his face, its jagged outline clear and defined.

"What a marvelous gathering of the dregs of society." PoH started to stalk the stage, pacing slowly. "Or so the current front-liners would have us think. The morally righteous and thoroughly tired Heathcliff is meeting his match up there, you know? Floors are being cleared at a snail's pace now. Not since the first floor have we been seeing so much difficulty.

"See, these front-liners that everyone loves to admire are starting to suffer under the weight of their own ideals. They believe that everybody should be liberated. That we should carry the weight of even the weakest of us!" PoH's voice, at first seductive and low, barked out the last few words with a vicious anger. "The non-players of Starting City, the drab and inadequate middle-floor players, the merchants and the craftsmen who play for money. Are these people really worth Heathcliff's protection?"

"No!" Several people shouted in the crowd. Others joined in, propelled by the raw fury in PoH's calm yet savage voice. Sophie wondered if PoH had planted people in the crowd to respond to certain phrases and egg them all on.

"I have talked to all of you, individually and as a group, over the last few months. You are the meanest of us, the toughest of us. Robbers and thieves and murderers, each and every one of you. But you will be the saviors of man!

"However!" PoH stopped in his tracks, accentuating the world heavily. "The weak deserve neither our pity nor our protection. If humanity is to clear this game of death, we must be willing to cast off the unwilling and the infirm!

"I propose a new order. A guild to usher in a new era. «Laughing Coffin» will reward only the strong! We will take what we must and we will destroy those who oppose us! The weak will be weeded out and you," He gestured towards the entire crowd, "Will be richly rewarded!"

More cheering from the shills in the crowd. However, they were joined by over half of the room now. Even the Tank was shouting with them, though the rest of Sophie's party had remained silent. Lyra stared at PoH, her eyes narrow. She shook her head, muttering something to David. Sophie watched as he put a hand on her shoulder, holding her back from something.

"Kayaba Akihiko created this nightmare, and so Kayaba Akihiko will bear the weight of our sins." PoH stood in the direct center of the stage. He looked out over the crowd of people, at the eager faces of criminals and outcasts alike. "We are not responsible! We did not trap ourselves, but we shall free humanity! If the weak cannot survive, then they are failures! If the strong cannot progress, then they should be replaced! If Heathcliff cannot succeed, I will lead us to victory!"

An overwhelming cheer from the crowd. Everybody except for Sophie, David, Lyra and Newbie was shouting now. They beat their weapons against their shields. They stamped their feet. They hollered loud and proud. And PoH lapped it all up.

"On New Year's Eve, we will send a message. A message that will change the face of this game forever! We will usurp Heathcliff and his tired ideology of morality! We will create a new Aincrad, a new reality, a new future! Will you join me?"

The wall of sound that erupted was beyond enormous. Thirty people all shouting and cheering at the top of their lung. Weapons clanging, feet stamping. The orange players had forgotten where they were, mixing with the green completely and without fear.

But all Sophie felt was a cold hand gripping her heart. She glanced at Lyra, who was holding David's hand tight, both of them staring silently up at the lone speaker atop the stage. PoH was right. This was a beginning of something new. The beginning of something terrible.

The beginning of «Laughing Coffin».


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Sophie – Floor 43 – December 29, 2023 – 22:10**

"Now, some of you may be wondering how I plan to accomplish my goals." PoH continued his speech, the audience enraptured by him. He'd been talking the last eleven minutes of many things: inequality in the virtual world, the slow progress of the clearers, the non-players characterized as burdens. Each point was fiery, powerful and vividly presented; Sophie found herself being swayed even as her unease grew.

"The first job will take place on the eve of the new year. There is a guild that has made troubling advances into my territory and investigating where they do not belong. The «Eternal Brotherhood», run by the brothers Castor and Pollux, will be hosting a New Year's party as a celebration.

"Luckily for us, they will be celebrating outside any «Anti-Criminal Code Effect» area, at a farmhouse on the 35th floor. We will descend upon them as they are too drunk and distracted to counter, and we will wipe them out."

If it was possible for Sophie to get even more on edge, PoH's description of the job certainly did it for her. An entire guild? Even enraptured as the audience was, that thought gave many of them pause. The «Eternal Brotherhood» wasn't yet a clearing guild, but they had over twenty members and were generally well-regarded as strong players.

"This will announce us to the world in the biggest way." PoH didn't give the players time to think. "With the complete annihilation of the «Eternal Brotherhood», we will force every other player trapped in this virtual hell to finally wake up and realize how dire their situation really is! We will force them into action!"

The cheers were less certain when PoH finished, but Sophie knew he still had control of the crowd.

"And your reward for doing this job?" PoH's grin seemed to stretch from ear to ear. "Each player who partakes in this mission, who joins me in destroying the «Eternal Brotherhood», will receive a small fortune. 600,000 Col per person, as well as additional arms and armor so that you're in proper fighting form to take on the guild."

The response was immediate and overwhelming. Sophie saw the Tank nearly jump with joy, as did many of the others. 600,000 Col? Sophie had never seen more than a couple of tens of thousands, and even that was an incredible amount to her.

At some point, she realized, money had become more important than the lives of others. She'd become a robber because of that. She'd endured the anguished and dying screams of so many players simply because it promised her a new day with better equipment and a higher chance of staying alive. Everything she had was built off of the suffering of others.

600,000 Col. Enough to buy equipment on par with the best of the clearers. Sophie, her eyes wide with horror, raised her arms to cheer. God forgive her, but she had to do this.

Now was not the time for moralizing.

* * *

**Akira – Floor 43 – December 30, 2023 – 0:00**

Akira watched his menu absently as the time hit midnight. Sitting on the grass in front of PoH's farm-house, he watched the players slowly filter out into the night. Many walked back towards the town, while others – the «Wanted» – took off at random directions into the darkness. It was peaceful and quiet, save for two criminal players arguing with each other somewhere to his left.

He materialized the skull mask he'd been given after PoH's speech. It was the symbol of «Laughing Coffin», so he'd been told. Unequipped, it was just a mess of black cloth and the front portion of a human skull. He'd seen some of the others wear them, though. The headgear would mold itself to fit the player's face, mimicking their own skull. Wearing it underneath a black hood or cloak made players look more like walking dead than humans

Or at least the others did. Akira dematerialized the mask. Nobody would ever be scared of him. The «Eternal Brotherhood» would probably just laugh at him if he tried to attack them. Akira squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. For some reason, the job hadn't weighed on his mind that much. Instead, he saw the memory of Lyra's hand gripping David's shirt, of her scared expression in the middle of PoH's speech as she pulled David closer to her.

She didn't let him go. Not once.

"Why do you sit alone?" Akira turned towards the voice and froze. PoH sat next to him, a light smile greeting Akira. "Why not join your companions inside? Johnny Black is doing a great job keeping them entertained."

"I…" Akira found it difficult to speak. PoH's presence suffocated him.

"Relax." PoH grinned, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I don't bite."

"Sorry." Akira breathed out heavily, unsure what to say. "Uh… you gave a nice speech back there."

"Thank you." PoH let go of his shoulder and leaned back on his hands, staring up at the sky. Akira looked over at the Japanese-American with the beads woven into his hair, noticing the wistful expression on his face. He seemed so at peace, even though just a short while before he was calling for a drastic change in the structure of the game's virtual society. He had given Akira and all the others their first job as members of «Laughing Coffin». Some had left excited, others contemplative. Akira didn't know what to feel.

He had watched the spectacle with a mixture of fascination and horror. PoH's sheer charisma had even dragged him from his frustration about Lyra and David, if only for the length of the speech. He'd stood awe-struck, unsure how to respond as PoH lashed out against the current status quo. It had been beautiful and powerful, yet thoroughly discouraging.

"I'm not so sure if I can be much help to you." Akira cringed. "Honestly, I'm a pathetic player. I'm a full ten levels below David and my equipment is top-end for floor 30. I can't really do anything except run away."

"Hmm…" PoH rubbed his chin, pondering this thought for a moment. "You worry too much."

"Huh? How? I'm weak is what I am."

To their left, the criminals who were arguing drew their swords. One had a great sword and was heavily armored while the other had a short-blade and light chain mail. The short-blade-wielder sent a duel request to the other, who quickly accepted. A large «Duel» notice appeared above them, indicating «First-Strike Mode». Akira watched the timer as it whittled down, painfully aware of the leader of «Laughing Coffin» relaxing next to him.

"Being weak has nothing to do with your equipment or personal ability." PoH said, his voice almost sad. "And it's unfortunate that so many people still rely upon material concepts like that to define themselves, even when stuck in a virtual game."

"Material concepts?"

"Money. Possessions. Sex." PoH shook his head. The duel timer was nearly half-way gone now. "Even here, where none of it is real, we judge ourselves and others based upon how much or how little we have."

Sex? He immediately found himself thinking of Lyra, but that just led to thinking of David. David and Lyra together… He shook the image out of his head, his heart starting to hurt. They hadn't… Right?

"You are not weak, Akira." Akira's head shot up and he stared at PoH intently. He'd only ever been introduced to PoH as Newbie. "Not at all."

Akira swallowed a chuckle. Now that _had_ to be a joke.

"Don't laugh. You are here. You are willing to change the pathetic state of our collective virtual nightmare." PoH watched as the timer for the duel reached zero. Immediately the two swordsmen collided, the great sword-wielding player gaining the upper hand. He had a longer reach and easily kept the short-bladed man dancing away from him.

"How could I even do that?" The great sword wielder brought down the full weight of his blade onto the other man's head, but it was parried at the last second. "I'd bet that if I didn't sign up for «Laughing Coffin» there would be no difference made. Everything would be exactly the same if I wasn't around."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do." Both of the duelers were at high levels – higher than Akira, at least – and their weapons looked very high quality. Most of the criminals gathered for PoH's new guild were outfitted like that. Their expressions were hard and they all seemed ready to kill. Even David had that quiet eagerness about him. "That job that you told us about after our speech… A lot of people are going to die. I don't know if I can do it. I mean… I don't know if I can kill so easily like David can."

"It isn't murder."

"Huh? What are you talking about? Of course it is!"

"No. It isn't. There is no killing dead mean."

"I don't understand."

"Let me tell you a story." PoH's voice was oddly reassuring.

"Okay." Akira nodded hesitantly, his eyes flicking back to the duel. The short-bladed man narrowly avoided a clean hit, instead taking a small cut along his hand. Inside the farmhouse, Akira could vaguely hear his party members arguing about something, though he couldn't make it out. The night seemed so calm, despite it all.

"Do you remember television, by any chance? It's been a few years since those went out of style and you might be too young." Akira nodded. "Everything we use is a personal computer nowadays. I really feel sometimes that I live in a world entirely separate from my youth.

"A long time ago, I worked at an office with a friend of mine, a man who I had known since childhood. He worked hard. He played hard. When he was told to do something, he did it well. Want to build a new front porch? Sure, he'd help you out. Need your house painted? He'd be there all day to lend a hand – for free even!

"He loved television. He would sit in front of it for hours every day if nobody else had something for him to do. But it seemed so contradictory. Why would a man with such incredible work ethic, who was so devoted to everyone else in his life, just sit and rot in front of a television for hours day after day? So I asked him why.

"His response? 'Dunno. Guess I just feel like I've got nothing better to do.'

"My curiosity was not satisfied by this answer. I asked him one day, 'Hey, what do you like to read?' He shrugged. So I asked him, 'Hey, do you pay attention to politics?' He shrugged again. Then I asked him, 'Hey, are you satisfied with your life?' This time he didn't bother to respond.

"Finally, I asked him, 'Hey, what's your biggest goal in life?'

"He replied, 'I want a Ferrari.'

"It was at that moment that I saw him for what he was. A worthless man. A weak man. A dead man. He worked so hard because he did not know how to think. He played so hard because he could not bear to be bored. Even when he sat and did nothing he could not stand the idea of a contemplative mind. Instead he watched television and forgot he existed.

"He had foregone conscious thought and intellect. He was consumed by the mindless excess of the modern world. I never talked to him after that. To this day I care not whether his body still lives. His mind has likely been gone since the day he first drew breath.

"To quote Erich Fromm, a German social psychologist, 'Theologians and philosophers have been saying for a century that God is dead, but what we confront is the possibility that man is dead, transformed into a thing, a producer, a consumer, an idolater of other things.'

"Akira, you are not dead like the friend from my story. That is how I know you are not weak. You, along with all the others of «Laughing Coffin», are one of the few who are truly alive."

The man with the great sword slipped, throwing his weapon wide. Seeing his chance, the short-bladed man slashed the man's thin armor at his throat. Akira watched as the armored man's health dipped towards the half-way mark, ending the duel. PoH got up, brushing himself off amicably.

"You are alive and thus you are strong." He smiled warmly and bowed deep. "Akira, consider this a formal welcome to my merry band of grave-robbers and corpse-killers. We shall do many great things together."

* * *

**Sierra – Floor 43 – December 30, 2023 – 8:30**

"Hey!" Sierra ran her hands up Hikari's side and Hikari jumped, squirming out of her arms. The woman's curls bobbed as she stood quickly, smiling at Sierra. "You're rude!"

"Can't help it." Sierra grinned and collapsed onto the feather bed, her body feeling light and her heart merry. Hikari pouted, turning back to her menu and quickly dressing herself. Vague disappointment ran through Sierra – Hikari was no longer naked. She chose a bright blue frock with what looked like a Persian design running along the sleeves, lettered in gold and trimmed with a bright red thread. It was one of Hikari's more expensive outfits.

"You seem like you're in a pretty good mood already, Sierra." Hikari thumbed through her menu, choosing some matching shoes and socks to go with her dress. "I'm glad you're starting to cheer up."

"Do I really seem that way?" Sierra stared at the ceiling, at the tarred wood.

The ceiling warped in some places, dipping and bending oddly. That's what a cheap inn would get you in Aincrad – an uncertain roof over your head. This inn's roof was boring compared to the elaborately designed and painted room she had on the 49th floor. Simple wood paneling ran together above her, the planks sometimes marred by knots. The dark, lacquered ceiling was plain, but enjoyable nonetheless.

"Yeah. Unless all of your flirting is coming from nowhere." Hikari's half-grinning snarky expression poked at Sierra. Other people might have thought her tone rude or sassy, but Sierra could only ever find it endearing.

"It's not like that!" Sierra got up, wrapping her hands around Hikari from behind.

"Get dressed first!" Hikari batted at her playfully. "I don't need half-naked women pressing up against me and getting my outfit all messed up! And you're sweating too!"

"Sorry, babes." Sierra stepped back, running her hands through her hair as she tilted her head back. Hikari looked her up and down, blushing at how boldly Sierra displayed herself. "Just can't help myself. You know how I get when I'm all alone with you."

"Get dressed or I'm dressing you myself!" Hikari threw a blouse at her, which Sierra caught easily.

"Would you please?"

Changing through the menu in «Sword Art Online» was something Sierra would never get used to. Picking options on a screen and having items magically appear on her person just weirded her out. Instead, she opted to manually dress herself – a slower and more inefficient process, as Hikari was quick to point out.

"We're in a virtual world. Might as well take advantage of it." Hikari sat, crossing her legs and staring up at Sierra. Her half-smirk playfully spread out over her face – Hikari's amusement was easy to see as Sierra struggled to pull a cloth shirt over her head.

"Or you could help me out." Sierra fumbled with the shirt. With a sigh of false irritation, Hikari slid to her feet and pulled the shirt down for her. "Thanks."

"There." Hikari smiled, pecking Sierra on the lips before returning to sit on the bed. "Maybe now you'll take my advice and dress yourself through the console."

"Don't lie. You like to watch." Sierra teased. Hikari blushed and looked away. Sierra materialized a pair of traveling pants in her hands and hesitated before putting them on.

"I like a lot of things." Hikari grinned. "And I might subtract one from that list if you keep teasing me like that."

A somber thought from before returned to Sierra, dragging her out of her pleasant mood. "I dreamt about that woman again last night."

"You did?"

"Yeah." Sierra pulled her pants on quickly and only half-consciously tied the fasteners in front. "Sorry. I know I'm being a downer by bringing this up again."

"No, it's okay, Sierra." Hikari was on her feet, concerned and caring like always. Sierra couldn't help but smile at that. "What was the dream like?

"I…" Sierra hesitated. Did she really want to go into this? "She was screaming my name, begging for me to tell her why I killed her. I had no answer for her." Hikari didn't respond. "I don't mean to make you feel bad. Really, it's just a bad dream. I'm not falling to pieces about it."

"I-I'm sorry." Hikari looked at her but couldn't maintain eye contact. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

Sierra shook her head. "The simple truth is that I murdered somebody. I just… have to live with that now."

Hikari's expression went dark. "You know, I wonder sometimes if I would have what it takes to kill. If it really came down to it, if I was in a fight where it was just me or them, would I be able to do it?"

"Hikari?"

"It's… you reminded me just now." Hikari shook her head, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Of a thought that's been running through my head ever since I heard Yūta was missing. If I ever confront my brother's killer, would I be able to avenge him?" Hikari shook her head. "I just can't say."

"You don't know he's dead."

"I do. Somehow I know it." Sierra watched as tears welled up in Hikari's eyes. "I just... know Yūta is gone."

Sierra was silent, uncertain what to say.

"Sierra… I admire you." Hikari bit her lip. "I've always admired you. Not because you're attractive. Not because you're a good player. Anyone can be those things, given the right effort. I admire you because you're strong. You can do what others can't. You've always been willing to make tough choices. When I heard you killed Justitia, I… I can't say I was surprised."

"Hikari…" Sierra wrapped her into a hug.

"I'm sorry." Hikari trembled, gripping Sierra's shirt tightly. "I'm just making this all about me. You were the one who had a bad dream, and I just…"

"It's okay. It's okay."

Sierra pressed Hikari against her, tears forming in her own eyes. Did Justitia have a family out in the real world? She might have a wife, or kids, or parents. There could be a funeral happening right now, a group of friends and family and well-wishers gathering about a full grave. Did they know that Sierra killed the woman by accident? Would they ever accept that answer if they were told?

No. They wouldn't.

"Sierra, I..." Hikari pulled away from her, drying her eyes. "We've got a lot of work to do today. Somehow we need to wrap up everything we need to do here and still be on time to help Castor and Pollux on the 35th floor."

"Can't be standing around crying." Sierra joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah." Hikari wrung her hands. "I suppose not."

* * *

**David – Floor 43 – December 30, 2023 – 12:23**

"Holy shit." David accepted the trade. "PoH wasn't joking."

He stared at the money in his inventory, a fresh new addition of 300,000 Col from the Tank. He couldn't even begin to respond as the big man circled around the table, initiating trades with the rest of the party. Newbie's jaw dropped as the trade completed. Lyra, however, was silent.

"Now I don't want to hear any shit from you guys about me shaving some Col off the top." The Tank growled as he completed the trade with Sophie. "You can ask PoH yourself – this is the exact amount paid to each of us for doing the job tomorrow. He'll give us the other half of the payment once the job is done. You can confirm it with the guy yourself. And have any of you seen Muscles?"

"How can he even afford 600,000 Col a piece?" Sophie shook her head. "For thirty people, that's nearly twenty million Col just for one job."

"It would have to be high." Lyra clenched her fists, closing the menu. "Are we really going to do this?"

David opened his mouth to speak, but found he couldn't. The rest of his party sat silently at the inn table, unable to respond. The inn was quiet today – very few customers wandered about in the background. This only made the silence worse. Lyra put her head in her heads, staring at the grain of the wood.

"For this kind of money, I'd do anything." The Tank finally said. "I've done worse for less."

"But we're talking about a slaughter." Lyra shook her head. "I can't do this, guys. I just can't. This is worse than everything else. All those people... The money doesn't justify-"

"Yes it does." David said slowly. Lyra group turned to him in shock. Newbie looked numb as he glanced from David to Lyra and back. The rest didn't look much better, though the Tank's expression had a hint of twisted amusement mixed in with his surprise.

"David-"

"The money always justifies it." David rubbed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. For the first time, he noticed the ceiling had a tiled pattern. "It's best not to think about it too much. We do this job for PoH right and we can go to the front lines easy as that. We'll be well-equipped enough to take on bosses right alongside Heathcliff and the «Knights of the Blood». We'd be able to defend ourselves from anything. All it takes is a day of just not thinking about it."

He looked at Lyra, but she wouldn't meet his gaze.

"David's right." The Tank shook his head. "This is a bigger payday even than what we'd find fighting a front-line floor boss. PoH's setting us up for the big leagues. And besides that, what he was saying back in that barn could change this game forever. We might even get out of this nightmare under him."

"Do we sell our souls to get there?" Sophie muttered.

"It isn't murder." Newbie said suddenly, rushing through the words with a mixture of certainty and trepidation. David felt a chill pass through him.

"Huh?" Lyra stared at him for a moment before slamming her hands down on the table. "What are you talking about? Of course it is! Those people… What the hell is the point of killing them?"

"We wouldn't be killing them." Akira shook his head. He barely moved when he spoke and simply stared down at the table, expressionless. "You can't kill dead men."

"Hey, Newbie…" Sophie started.

Lyra stood up from the table, knocking her chair over as she rose. David saw Newbie look up at her expectantly. Lyra slapped him, the sound echoing around the room. His head snapped to the side, but the boy's gaze remained petulantly fixed against the ground.

"Not you too, Akira." Lyra pulled her hand back, holding it against her chest. Tears were in her eyes. Newbie looked up at her, his expression hard. Lyra backed away, shaking her head before breaking into at a run, sprinting out of the inn and into the street.

"Lyra!" David stood quickly, dodging around the table and starting to take off after her. He stopped, spinning towards Akira and grabbing the front of his shirt. He pulled the high school student close and couldn't control the fury in his voice. "Don't trivialize this, you fucking child."

He threw Akira backwards onto the table and ran after Lyra. He leaped through the doorway, catching a glimpse of her disappearing around a nearby alleyway. With his high «Acrobatics» skill, David caught up to her quickly, grabbing her shoulder and stopping her moments before she exited the town. Lyra stopped at his touch, freezing up but refusing to look at him.

"Lyra-"

"I… I'm being a hypocrite, I know." Lyra said, still turned away from him. "I'm responsible for this. I brought Akira into our group of robbers. I really thought… I really thought we'd stick with stealing. But then these last two jobs… Those people all died because of us."

"It's not-"

"I was wrong. I was so wrong. This job from PoH." Lyra shook her head. David looked around quickly – there were no players nearby. "He wants us to slaughter a whole guild. At their New Year's party, nonetheless! He… He's a monster. I…"

"Lyra." David lightly stepped around her, holding both her shoulders. "If we do this, we can put robbery behind us forever. We can join the clearers. With money like this, we'll finally be able to do something useful rather than flounder about on mid-level floors. We can help people."

"Then let's leave now." Lyra's voice was hurried, frantic. "Let's just take the money and split. We can go to the 49th floor and request asylum with the «Knights of the Blood». We'll tell Heathcliff all about PoH and his group of PKers and…"

"You know that won't work." Upon hearing this, Lyra broke down. David cradled her head in his hands. "If PoH has the resources to spend twenty million Col on this job, if he can get all those players to back him – even «Wanted» players – then he'll just hunt us down. We'd never be safe, even with the «Knights of the Blood» on our side. And that's assuming they help a couple of lowlife robbers like us anyway. But if we do this job, we can tell PoH afterwards that we quit, and then-"

"Please, David. Please. Let's just run away. I can't kill anybody else. I can't handle this life anymore."

"Lyra…" David shook his head. "I can't do that. I can't back out of this job."

"Then…" Lyra wiped her eyes, staring into David's eyes. Their faces were centimeters apart. "Then duel me."

"What?"

"If I win, we drop everything and run." David noticed how closely Lyra pressed against him when she spoke. "We forget about PoH. We forget about the Tank and the rest of the party. Just you and me. We take the money and run."

"That's a lot to ask." David saw the determination in her voice, the hardness of her expression. "But if I'm going to honor that bet, then I have to ask something in return. If I win, we do the job." David broke away from her. "You and I both – we will slaughter that guild tomorrow together. Then – and only then – can we run away."

Lyra nodded and backed away. They both stared at each other and Lyra materialized her spear, the «Demon's Talon». After a few moments of her messing with her menu, she sent him a duel request. The notification for a «Half-Health Mode» duel appeared on David's screen. He accepted it quickly and the timer began to count down.

* * *

**Argo – Floor 35 – December 30, 2023 – 12:32**

"You know, when we put an ad out looking for a farmhouse to borrow, I hadn't expected to get a response so quickly." Castor shook his head. Argo looked back and forth between the two identical twin leaders of the «Eternal Brotherhood». They'd both colored their hair in opposites – Pollux's was black and Castor's blonde – though that helped little in distinguishing them. Even knowing their hair colors, Argo found herself addressing the wrong twin constantly.

And, of course, their personalities couldn't be more different.

"I'm telling you, Argo! Once we're back in the real world, I'm gonna marry the hell out of you!" Pollux grinned, slapping Argo on the back heavily. She lurched forward, spilling a little bit of her coffee over the ornamented wooden table. A nearby NPC immediately sensed the spill and started walking over, a quaint smile on her otherwise blank face.

They sat in the courtyard of the «Weathercock Pavilion», sipping coffee and enjoying the light snowfall. Argo wasn't planning on leaving her inn room today, but she couldn't resist such a nice day when Pollux invited her out to thank her. A handful of players drifted about the main clearing. A few were checking out the fountains and another was taking screenshots of the Christmas tree.

"I, uh, that's okay, Pollux." Argo smiled at him, trying to be polite. "But I'm, uh-"

"But you're what?" Pollux's huge smile was plastered over the big man's face. "Don't tell me you got a boyfriend! I'll go kick his ass and prove my worth right now!"

"Aniki!" Castor put his hand on Pollux's shoulder, pulling his twin back. "Don't harass the young lady. She's done so much for us."

"It ain't harassment if she wants it!" Pollux beamed. "So tell me, Argo, how bout it? Want to get hitched? I'm telling you, honey, I can give you one hell of a good time."

"Uh, no. I'm good, thanks." Argo stared at the table, blushing furiously. "I've… I guess I've already got someone."

"No!" Pollux swung around comically, holding his head in his hands. "I've been beaten! Someone has stolen my love away from me!"

"Just wait five minutes and you'll find a new one, Aniki." Castor sighed and smiled at Argo appreciatively. "Really, Argo, you did us a huge favor finding us a farmhouse on such short notice. I know when I asked you last week there wasn't much of a chance, but you did it!"

"It's no big deal, really." Argo waved her hands. The NPC waitress arrived at the table, quietly excusing herself as she wiped up Argo's spilt coffee. "I know a guy who knows a guy. That's all. Not many people own houses on this floor, so it's kind've out of the way, but still…"

"You're with the «Black Swordsman», aren't you!" Pollux was close to crying now. "He's just another «Beater», you know! One of those selfish beta-testers that abandoned us in the early game! And now he's taking my woman!"

"Oh, you poor fool, Aniki." Castor patted Pollux on the back as the man began to bawl. "You know, there's a beautiful woman over there by the Mishe fountain. Why not-"

"Where?" Pollux's head shot up and he looked around hurriedly before his eyes settled on someone in the city center. "Her?"

"Oh yeah, she's quite a looker." Argo said around her cup of coffee. The woman had long, chestnut hair and sported white and red form-fitting clothing. A thin rapier hung at her side, and she seemed to be looking for someone. She looked oddly familiar, but Argo couldn't place her. "Pollux, I'm sure she'll be receptive to your moves. For all you know, she might be single, too."

"You know, I think you're right." Pollux stood eagerly, his eyes already dry and a determined look etched into his face. "Wish me luck, Aniki."

"Of course, Aniki." And Pollux was off, running towards the poor, unsuspecting female. Argo sighed. She knew the man was joking when he hit on her, but it was exhausting nonetheless. Sometimes he really did go overboard.

"I'm sure that other woman can handle herself." She muttered, then looked up at Castor. "You both call each other Aniki?"

"Ah, yes." Castor nodded. "We don't actually know who was born first. Mother never told us and Father died before we were born. I even tried tracking down the doctor who delivered us back when I was in high school, only to find out he'd been killed in a car accident." He laughed. "I think fate just decided we'd never know who the elder child was."

"Sounds like a conspiracy." Argo grinned. "You ever think maybe someone out there doesn't want you two to know who's older? It could be a conspiracy!"

"Indeed!" Castor raised his hand, calling for more coffee. "I have to be suspicious of everybody! By the way," Castor started, glancing down towards Pollux. Even from this distance Argo could tell that he was getting rejected pretty hard by the chestnut-haired swordswoman. "Would you like to come to our New Year's Party? The entire guild is going to be there, you know. We'll have drinks and games and we'll all stay up until midnight waiting for the dawn of the New Year."

"Sorry, I'm busy." Argo shook her head, smiling to lessen the rejection. "I've got an empty inn room and a pile of work that I simply must get back to. Compiling my «Strategy Guide» by floor is really a lot of work."

"Ah, that's a shame." Castor stiffened for a moment, listening to something only he could hear. After a moment he opened his menu started reading a message. "Oh, it looks like Sierra, Hikari and Danat just arrived on the floor. I'll have to show them to the farmhouse."

"Oh, I see." Argo stood. "They're the ones who met with me about the missing raider, yes? I'll have the results of my investigation to you soon."

"Thank you for that." Castor sighed. "It's really a troubling situation."

"I'll be taking my leave now. Thank you for coffee. I appreciate your business."

"No, no." Castor's beard seemed to shine in the sunlight, the bright blonde braided hairs forming waving patterns along his rough face. "I should be thanking you. You found us a client willing to lend out his farmhouse for our party and you're helping us investigate into our missing members, after all."

A ringing in Argo's ear alerted her to a new message. "Well, take care, Castor. Don't hesitate to call on me again if you need any of my services. I'm always happy to help."

"Of course!" Castor started walking towards Pollux. "Happy Holidays, Argo!"

"Happy Holidays!"

Argo watched as the co-leader of the «Eternal Brotherhood» walked away, his giant feet making huge impressions in the snow. It was a comical sight, watching him walk up to his maybe-big brother and smacking him on the head for harassing the chestnut-haired woman. Castor bowed profusely for his brother's idiocy, thoroughly embarrassing both himself and the woman.

Argo chuckled and turned, thinking about the quickest way she could get back to her inn.

"Oh, that's right!" Argo opened her menu as she exited the «Weathercock Pavilion» outdoor eating area. She scrolled down to her messages, alighting her finger on the «1» sign indicating a new message.

It was from Kirito. She opened it quickly, her heart drumming in her ears.

_'We need to talk.'_

* * *

**Lyra – Floor 43 – December 30, 2023 – 12:32**

She spun «Demon's Talon» around over her head before whipping it out to her side. The weapon screamed as it tore through the air, its jagged, black metal tip stopping to point directly at David. «Demon's Talon» was a long, blackened heartwood weapon with dark steel reinforcements – a spear specifically designed for PVP, both light and powerful. It had great reach, gave her a significant bonus to her speed and even had a combat bonus against human players.

David's «Osafune» shone blue in the sunlight. The weapon had been a gift from Lyra over a month before; it was a quest reward she'd received. From the «Strategy Guide», she'd figured out that particular reward was randomized and she had no use for a weapon she had no skill levels in. David had taken it eagerly, trading his «Hermes Boots» for them. Now, he'd turned the weapon against her.

Lyra watched the clock tick down. David stared at her, expressionless.

So this was what it was like to be on the receiving end of David's blade. Lyra felt her breath tighten in her throat. She'd never thought she'd be fighting him like this. Dueling was second nature to her – she'd fought a lot of players as a robber – but the same could be said of David. They'd never crossed blades before.

Nobody could know how it would end.

When the timer hit zero, David stepped off, «Osafune» held out parallel to the ground as he charged. He raised the katana over his head and sliced downwards. Lyra dodged out of the way, dancing towards her left and slashing at his exposed stomach with her spear.

Their weapons locked for a moment, but David rolled with the strike, spinning around the edge of the spear. Lyra lurched forward, narrowly avoiding a kick to the head. She ran forward, spinning and holding «Demon's Talon» out wide.

The entire exchange had taken less than a second. David paused, surveying Lyra with an almost eager flare in his eyes. Behind him, Lyra could see the other party members running towards them. Akira trailed behind, his expression blank.

"Don't get distracted!" David shouted, appearing at her side in a moment. Lyra stumbled backwards, awkwardly parrying a strike from him. He'd gotten in close, too close for either of them to be effective. Lyra tried to step away, but a heavy fist impacted her stomach, forcing the wind out of her. She fumbled over her feet, stepping backwards awkwardly and slashing with her spear to keep David away while she regained her bearings. He stalked back and forth, a grim expression on his face as they surveyed each other.

Lyra glanced at her health – still well within the green. She charged, falling into a «System Assist». Lyra felt her arms move faster than she could done herself as she dashed forward at David. «Piercing Strike» was a simple, straightforward penetrating skill aimed for David's heart. David dodged around the strike easily, as she expected.

"Gotcha." Lyra grinned. She stopped herself as she passed by David and struck backwards. The butt of her spear slammed into David's stomach. Without wasting a second of momentum, Lyra spun, slashing the bladed end of her spear across David's face. He threw his upper body backwards at the last second, narrowly avoiding a «Weak Point» strike to the neck by just a few centimeters. The duel monitor showed his health dip slightly, still in the green.

Lyra didn't let up. She spun again, manipulating her superior reach with exacting care. Stabbing left and right, she kept David backing up towards the nearby buildings. He dodged and parried, but could not respond to her onslaught. As soon as his back pressed against the wall, she sliced downwards from the left. David dropped and rolled away, the blade of her spear catching him across the back.

It was a solid, deep wound. The duel monitor displayed David's health hovering above the midpoint now. Lyra grinned, jumping after him. She pulled her spear back with both hands, expecting a solid parry now that he was back on his feet.

David didn't even raise his blade. He stopped, turning his body to the side and letting the blade of her spear slide across his stomach. Lyra, in mid thrust, stumbled as she tried to pull herself away from him to counter his feint. She planted her feet, about to press off and jump back.

But David was too quick. He wrapped an arm around her midsection and pulled her close. His lips pressed against hers suddenly, Lyra's heart feeling like it stopped as he kissed her.

Lyra hesitated for just a moment, but that was all David needed to sink his katana into her stomach. She broke away from him, her eyes tracing incredulously from his face down to the blade sticking out of her belly.

"You cheated." Lyra whispered as her health dipped below the half-way point, stopping just as it entered the red. David shrugged, but didn't let her go. Tears filled her eyes as the «Duel» monitor displayed David as the victor. "You cheated…"

"You're not going to keep your side of the deal, are you?" David asked Lyra as she collapsed in his arms, exhausted. Lyra stumbled and stammered over her words, unable to speak. Eventually she just shook her head. "I thought not."


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Argo – Floor 35 – December 30, 2023 – 13:01**

_ 'We need to talk.'_

_ 'Of course, Kii-bou. Where and when do you want to meet up?'_

_ 'Now. Mishe. __«Hall of Memories».'_

_ 'I'll be there soon.'_

Argo had rushed towards the meeting place, forgetting all about her plans to go to the inn to finish up her work. She dashed through the myriad of alleys and side-passages that dotted the dark, medieval town of Mishe. She headed away from the city center, towards the north-eastern wall. Somewhere in the back of her head, Argo contemplated how foolish this was – she had a ridiculous amount of work to do and not enough time to do it, especially if she was running off to meet Kirito.

The «Hall of Memories» was a long, low building carved of stone and lined with voussoir arches. The entryway was hidden behind a row of Corinthian order columns, the heavy bronze door shimmering low from the firelight of several torches. The «Hall of Memories» appeared ancient, hundreds if not over a thousand years old; it seemed ready to crumble away at any moment.

It lay in the old quarter of Mishe, an area designed to give a feel of the city being multi-generational. The north-eastern portion of the town had smatterings of ruined Grecian architecture mixed in among stone buildings. Not many NPCs lived in this section of the town and it had become host to a wide variety of players who enjoyed its foreboding atmosphere.

"Hello, young woman." Argo turned. An old man – an NPC, as far as she could tell – stood near the door, dressed in raggedy brown priest robes and leaning on a gnarled wooden cane. "Would you like to enter a world of mystique and variety? The «Hall of Memories» awaits you."

"No thanks." Argo brushed him off, sitting on the steps leading up to the doorway and staring down over the street. "I've got my fill of this world of mystique and variety."

Argo sat impatiently, fidgeting with her hands, with her hair, with her feet. Only a handful of people passed by in front of her, all of them armed and armored players. Some were monster hunters just come in from farming in the «Forest of Wandering», their faces varying in happiness depending on the success of their trip.

One group in particular caught her eye as they passed. They were a small group of players, each person outfitted in monster-hunting gear. The leader, a tank with cheap iron plate, stared at the ground. None of the rest of the players in the five-man group spoke to each other. One of them, a young girl of maybe 14 or 15, was openly sobbing. As she whimpered, tears marring her face, none of the rest of the party even bothered to look at her. Each wore masks of pain and sorrow.

Argo felt a pinching in her heart. She knew those looks. She'd felt the same way, many, many times. Normally monster hunting parties were composed of six people, but these players had come back with five. Argo couldn't bear to look at them any longer.

She opened her menu, reading over her messages from Kirito yet again. When he asked to talk with her, she had dropped everything and rushed over. Now, thirty minutes late, he hadn't even shown up yet! The least he could do was arrive early if he was going to drag her away from all of her plans for the day! Argo cradled her knees, pressing them against her chin.

"Kii-bou…" Argo whispered to herself. The dark look on the passing party's faces reminded her of him, of how tattered and ruined he looked when she'd last seen him. She scrolled through her messages, only half paying attention to them. One exchange, dated shortly after the first floor was cleared, stood out.

_'Thank you for helping me out, Kii-bou. Those «Fuumaningun» members were a real pain. Let me know if you need any info. I'll give you a discount.'_

_ 'Getting «Martial Arts» is a good enough reward for me. Take care.'_

_ 'Yeah. You too.'_

Argo sighed. Pretty much all of the conversations she'd had with Kirito were the same way. Short, to-the-point and thoroughly unemotional. Even when he'd helped her get rid of the «Fuumaningun» harassing her back on the second floor, he hadn't said much.

She remembered laughing at him when he got whiskers painted on his cheeks for the «Martial Arts» quest. He had looked so cute with them, especially since he was so embarrassed by it. She couldn't help but tease him, enjoying how he would blush and look away.

Maybe he was too much trouble for the effort? Argo had heard rumors, after all. Kirito was a crazy solo player who shunned contact with pretty much everybody. He trained obsessively, refusing to eat or sleep for days because that would mean pausing. Even Klein seemed uncomfortable talking about the guy, saying that Kirito was extremely brusque and difficult to deal with.

Of course, as with any rumor, Argo was certain most of what she'd heard was conjecture and exaggeration. Kirito was a solo clearer, but he was not the only one. Without a guild or a party to back him up, he'd have to work extra hard to keep up in levels with the front-line players. It was extremely dangerous to play without any support, but it was certainly possible. She knew of at least ten or more players choosing similar play styles.

The rumors of the «Black Swordsman» being an extremely powerful or invincible player were absolutely false, of course. Kirito was only human. Being a loner and having trouble making friends only made him less appealing to her.

Even so, Argo couldn't forget that whiskered face, that foolish blush.

That happened not long after the first floor boss had been cleared, when Diavel had been killed because of Argo's incorrect information. The game changed since the beta-test; the revisions just enough for Diavel to get caught off-guard when rushing for a «Last Attack».

"Argo." Her head shot up. There he was, the first time she'd seen him since before Christmas. He wore a black and gray coat, an unadorned longsword hanging from his belt. "You're here."

"You're late, Kii-bou." Argo stood, straightening her brown and green cloak quickly. She smirked at him, struggling to hide a nervous blush. "Usually when you call a woman out for a date, you don't leave them waiting for a half-hour."

"This wasn't a date." Kirito's voice was dull and unemotional. "I need something from you. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered talking to you."

The information broker opened her mouth to respond, but found she was too taken aback. Argo narrowed her eyes, staring at the young man. He was unwashed and unshaven, with dark gray circles under his eyes, wearing a mean expression. She gripped her fists tight, struggling to keep herself civil.

"Fine." Argo crossed her arms. She felt her anger slip through to her tone of voice. Kirito narrowed his eyes at her. "I see you're still an unlikable prick. And here I was, worried about you."

A slight pause. "I have a job I need you to do, Argo."

"Well, I can't guarantee I'll be any help."

* * *

**Akira – Floor 43 – December 30, 2023 – 17:07**

_'If you need anything else, anything at all, don't hesitate to let me know.'_

Akira shifted in his uncomfortable rental bed, staring at the message from PoH. It was a brief exchange: just Akira asking him for advice on what to buy for the attack on the «Eternal Brotherhood». PoH's replies were gracious and kind, understanding even though Akira knew his questions were bothersome.

According to PoH, Akira would likely perform best in PVP with a weapon he was familiar with, even if he didn't know specifically how to PVP. For Akira, that meant getting a proper «Straight Sword» type weapon to replace his pathetic «Adventurer's Short Blade».

There was a weapon shop not far from the inn, but what about armor? Currently, he wore some weathered leather armor that was disturbingly close to its breaking point. Akira thumbed through the messages again, carefully reading what PoH had written.

_'If you decide to get a longsword, your possible armor choices are varied. You could fight more similarly to David, who utilizes speed and critical hits to damage his opponents. Alternatively you could fight like Sophie, who whittles her opponents down using defensive maneuvering. Choosing to fight like David requires «Light Armor», while Sophie performs best in «Heavy Armor». There are also «Light Metal Armor» sets you could use, which strike a middle ground between offensive and defensive strategies.'_

Akira hated the idea of choosing a play style similar to David's, although Lyra fought much the same way. Both of them wore leathers or coats, dancing around their opponents and delivering precise, deadly strikes. He sighed. There was no way he could fight like that.

On the other hand, he couldn't imagine himself in heavy armor. The idea just seemed comical. With his small stature and rather wimpy overall appearance, he'd just look like an idiot trying to seem like a better player than he was.

That left «Light Metal Armor».

Akira sat up the bed. Then that was what he'd buy. A new, top-end longsword and a great set of chain mail or something like that. He jumped up, racing for the door. With proper equipment, he'd actually be of use! When «Laughing Coffin» attacked the «Eternal Brotherhood», he could help out! One of PoH's last messages repeated itself in his mind.

_'Every player is useful, no matter their skill level. Don't worry. I need you, Akira.'_

He burst through his door, throwing it wide and hurrying down the hallway. He was in the back of the inn and the rest of his party members had rooms closer to the front. He rounded a corner, fantasizing about all the new items he could buy. But when he looked down the hallway, he stopped cold.

Lyra stood in the doorway of David's room. She was upset – that much was obvious, considering how she was upset non-stop these days. After losing the duel earlier in the day, Lyra had gone off by herself, refusing to speak to anyone. David had left as well, not bothering to follow Lyra. The rest of the party – sans Muscles, who was still completely absent – had gone off to shop or otherwise clear their heads.

Akira started to walk down the hallway, unsure of what to say when he passed the two. Just as he was getting close, Lyra leaned upwards, whispering into David's ear and pushing him roughly inside of his room. She said something else – too soft to hear – and closed the door behind her. Neither of them had noticed Akira standing nearby. They had been too absorbed in each other.

He left the inn in a haze, having trouble comprehending what he had seen. Lyra and David were sleeping together. Wasn't she upset? How could she just forget about what happened earlier? David had beaten her in that fight, had left her bruised and crying and lost. Wasn't she mad at him?

How could Lyra choose a man like that?

Akira rushed out into the streets, a thousand questions tugging at his mind and none of them bearing answers he could handle. He had known Lyra the longest! He'd partied with her on the very first floor, when they were both too weak to do anything! Akira had shown her how to kill the «Frenzy Boars» filling the fields outside of Starting City. He'd given her a tutorial of everything she needed to know about «Sword Art Online».

She'd been so weak then, just like him. She depended on him. She needed him. Why couldn't she have stayed that way? Why did David – that fucking bastard! – have to change everything?

The weapon store was empty of players when he got there. The evening rush of parties returning from monster hunts had been over for at least an hour now. An NPC manned the counter, looking up with a smile as Akira entered. He had a typical design – European appearance, pale skin, brown hair and brown eyes. His shaggy beard hung from his face, braided in multiple areas. Though the man was large and stocky, he maneuvered between the shelves of his shop nimbly.

"Hello!" The NPC called out. "Let me know if you need any help."

"I need a PVP weapon." Akira responded distantly. He walked in and out among the rows of weapons, paying little attention to each individual item. "A longsword, preferably."

What was Lyra doing right now? He didn't want to think about it.

"For PVP?" The NPC faked thinking about it. Akira knew the computer had already sorted through the entire store inventory to display what was made for fighting other players. "Here's what we have."

A menu appeared in front of Akira, displaying all stocked PVP items sorted by name. An «Artisan's Bow» was at the top, priced at around 3,000 Col. He scrolled through the list, uninterested by the variety of cheap weaponry and low attack power. Most of the weapons were stronger than his own «Adventurer's Short Blade», but only barely.

"What's the most powerful longsword you got?" Akira asked, flitting through the menu as the NPC brought pulled up a list of several pricey items. His eyes alighted on one in particular. The picture displayed a dark gray blade. Red ornamentation mimicked veins pulsing with blood along the handle and base of the weapon. A ruby jutted out from the pommel of the blade, deep red and calling images of fire to his mind.

It wasn't the strongest weapon in the shop nor the most expensive. What drew his eye, however, was the «Innate Bonus» of the weapon. His eyes widened, his grin growing as he read the ability over and over again. «+100% Damage to Players». Below that, «Low Chance to Break Weapon» was clearly displayed, the description noting that the weapon had a very low chance of shattering the opponent's weapon every time «Murderous Fugue» was parried.

The base strength of the weapon was fairly low. Higher than his «Adventurer's Short Blade», of course, but considerably weaker than the other top-end weapons in the shop. However, with the «Innate Bonus» of the weapon, it skyrocketed to the top of the list in terms of sheer damage. On its own against a player, it would have an even stronger base damage output than the Tank's «Hellfire Bidenhänder».

"Sir, why do you have such a strong weapon in your inventory?" Akira asked, his hand hovering over the «Buy» button. "It's not top-end on its own but it's a very strong PVP weapon."

"This is an auction shop!" The NPC answered jovially, not registering that Akira was specifically inquiring into a tool made for murder. "Unclaimed weapons dropped by fallen players are cycled through shops like mine if nobody picks them up. We also barter weapons supplied by player clients and we rotate weapons between shops if nobody buys them."

"Huh." Akira turned back to the weapon. He froze as he looked over the price. 90,000 Col. That explained why nobody else picked up the weapon. Nobody would want a weapon only useful for PVP if it cost that much Col. Only people like PoH could purchase a pure PVP weapon of that caliber and Akira had a feeling PoH didn't need it.

He closed his eyes, pressing the «Buy» button before he could talk himself out of it. In an instant, the black leather sheath of the «Murderous Fugue» appeared in his hand. He drew it carefully, enjoying the weight of the blade, the dark red glow of the handle.

Now he just needed armor.

* * *

**Lyra – Floor 43 – December 30, 2023 – 17:15**

"Sorry." Lyra closed the door behind her, leaning against it heavily. "Akira was in the hallway. I didn't want him to overhear what I had to say."

She looked around David's sparse room. Since most players kept their essential items on their person, inn rooms usually didn't have many personal possessions lingering about. The only thing she could see nearby that belonged to David was his favorite red ball sitting idly on a nightstand.

Lyra walked past him, surveying everything. Everything in his room was identical to her own, as if the game designers had chosen to copy and paste each room to speed up development time. It was rare, but occasionally she had seen the re-use of resources in the game. A farmhouse on one floor looking suspiciously similar to a farmhouse on another floor or a store layout identical to one elsewhere. It was uncommon yet disconcerting.

None of this was real.

"Akira's gonna get the wrong idea." David shrugged and sat on his bed, the feathery sheets wafting up around him slightly from the impact. "Pushing me into my room like that and whispering in my ear? We're never gonna hear the end of it."

"It's nothing the rest of the party hasn't been gossiping about for ages already. The Tank is like a teenage girl about that sort of thing." Lyra rolled her eyes. "And that's not why I'm here."

David didn't respond immediately. He grabbed his little red ball, squeezing it in one hand. "You're thinking about leaving." Lyra flinched as he said it.

"…Yeah." It was a weak response, one she felt ashamed of. "And I want you to come with me. I know we had a promise from the duel, but I… I can't go through with it. I'm not a murderer. I'm not-"

"Like me?" Lyra stopped, examining David. His posture was relaxed and he looked over his shoulder casually, like they were talking about nothing at all.

"That's not what I meant." Lyra finally looked away.

David sighed, falling backwards onto the bed. His short, sandy hair stood out against the stark white of the bed. Blue eyes locked with hers, distant and pained. Lyra already knew what his answer was going to be, but she had to try anyway.

"If you leave, PoH is going to hunt you down." David said. "I have to be able to stop him if that happens. I can't leave «Laughing Coffin». Not now. If anything were to happen to you…"

Lyra sat on the bed next to him, sliding his head onto her lap and running her fingers through his hair. David reached up, stroking her cheek lightly, his touch barely present. Lyra lay a hand over his, smiling lightly.

"I wasn't expecting you to kiss me." She interlocked her fingers with his. "You're not exactly the romantic type."

"You were going to win." David shrugged. "I had no choice. Your weapon was better than mine. You had better reach. You're also a bit faster than I am."

"Cheater." Lyra chuckled slightly. "Kisses need to be a bit more romantic than that, you know. Probably preceded by a nice dinner and a walk in a park. Maybe throw in a sunset and some flowers or something."

"Making out in the midst of bloody battle is more appealing to me." David smirked. "Nothing is hotter than a quick, sloppy make-out session amongst the gruesome and mangled bodies of your fallen foes." He paused. "Why don't we go for a walk?"

"A walk?"

"Yeah. I'm tired of sitting around and talking in inn rooms."

David stood, changing into a fresh set of town clothes quickly. He wasn't the type to dress fancily – he sported a simple white shirt and brown cloth pants – and was ready in only a moment. Lyra herself switched to a more comfortable outfit, a black t-shirt and gray shorts. She hadn't yet told David, but she had already dematerialized all her possessions and checked out of the inn.

Lyra pressed against his side, holding his hand as they exited the inn together. They walked out into the Llyne streets. The cobbled roads glowed in the orange light of evening. Handfuls of players walked past in small groups occasionally, but it seemed that most had retreated to the safety of inns or had set out on night-time raids.

Lyra shuddered. Night-time mob hunting often led to great returns; certain rare monsters only came out during the night, but it was dangerous and difficult to hunt them. A party walked past, a couple of members equipped with «Shining Spectacles», a type of support item that increased a person's «Night Vision» skill. An excitable girl led the party, waving a mace about and making jokes to the others.

"This way." David pulled her towards an alleyway opposite the inn. She followed, stepping nimbly over the uneven streets. Her footsteps echoed in the alleyway, her hand firmly clasped within David's.

It was only a short while before they reached the wall on the western side of town. A small clearing between the buildings opened up in front of them, a plain oak tree rising from the center. A few chairs were set up along the walls of the buildings and there was even a wooden bench wrapping around the trunk of the oak. The two of them were alone.

Even in the depth of winter, the deciduous oak was emblazoned with the fire of autumn leaves. David broke away from her, walking up to the tree and placing a hand against the trunk, running it along the bark.

"It feels just like the real thing, you know." David called back to her. "It's got all the fine details and imperfections a real oak tree would have. Here, even this."

He peeled off a piece of loose bark, holding it out to Lyra. She took it carefully in her hands and a message appeared in front of her, asking if she wanted to «Itemize» it. She clicked «Yes» and the bark segment disappeared, reappearing as an item in her inventory.

"David, who are you in real life?" David turned back to the tree, running a hand across it as he circled the oak.

"This tree is late in shedding its leaves." David mused. "I found it in early November. Even though it was the end of fall, it was still a vibrant green. It's a hardy bastard. Must be good soil around here." David paused as he finished circumnavigating the oak.

"Soil? But-" Lyra looked up at the oak, at how the sunlight engraved itself on the fan of red-orange leaves.

"I know." David paused. "This oak is likely bugged, stuck on a slightly different timer from the usual deciduous trees in the game. The soil beneath my feet has little to do with anything. Or maybe this was intentional, a slight design flaw stuck in by Kayaba Akihiko to remind us that we're all lying down in a hospital somewhere, sustained by injected nutrients and rotated daily by nurses to prevent bedsores.

"I've never met you, Lyra. I've never run my hands through your hair. I've never kissed you, or fought with you." He walked towards her, stopping just short, a mere foot away. He could have been a thousand miles away. "But I like to think that I have."

"I'm sorry." Lyra gripped his shirt with one hand.

"It'd best you leave tonight before anyone notices you're missing." David continued. "I'll tell the others you're meeting up with us separately before we join with PoH. That should keep anyone from figuring out you've fled until the attack. You'll have until the attack is finished before «Laughing Coffin» considers sending someone after you. By then it should be impossible to track you."

"You knew I packed all my possessions." David nodded. "And if I want to meet with you again-"

"Don't tell me where you are." David shook his head. "If PoH thinks he can torture me to get information about your whereabouts, it only makes things worse for us both. If anyone comes after you, I'll do my best to convince them I killed you for being a coward."

"I'm sorry." Lyra bit her lip, pressing herself against David, tears forming at the edge of her vision. "I'm so sorry."

He kissed her for only the second time.

"When things are safe, I'll contact you." David smiled. She could tell he was trying his best to be reassuring. "But you'll be fine until then."

They parted ways shortly after, him back to the inn and her in a direction she wasn't even sure of yet. As she walked through fire-lit alleys and the sunset-drenched town streets, she was already hoping to see him again. Hoping that things would one day be the same.

It was a foolish dream, but a soothing one.

* * *

**Argo – Floor 35 – December 30, 2023 – 17:30**

_'Notice: Your «Murderous Fugue» has been sold for 90,000 Col in the city of Llyne.'_

Argo stared at the system message in shock. She'd almost forgotten about the weapon she'd put up for sale at the rotating auction. Her bait had been taken even though she hadn't expected any fish to bite. There was a PKer lurking about after all, one with serious backing. Even amidst the growing horror in her chest, she still felt a swell of happiness as the money entered her inventory. It was more than she'd made the entire month.

When she'd received the weapon as part of collecting on a bad loan, she honestly had no clue what to do with it. Argo had specialized in daggers and throwing knives, not longswords. Even if she could fight with it, why would she need a weapon specifically designed to kill people? The «Murderous Fugure» was too weak to use otherwise.

It had taken a long time of considering the situation to decide what to do with it. Over and over again, she had struggled with the moral quandary about selling the weapon. Finally, she came to the conclusion that the off chance of someone buying the dangerous weapon and leading Argo to them was worth the innate risk of a dangerous criminal owning it.

So last week on Christmas Day, after speaking with Lind, she'd put the weapon up for auction, hoping for the best. Now she finally had a lead – all she had to do was examine the store the weapon had been bought from and question people if they had seen anything around the time of its purchase.

Argo shook her head. Too many things going on at once. She closed the system message and opened her most recent exchange with Kirito. She'd bundled herself up in the main courtyard of Mishe, huddling nearby the teleporter. Many players walked about, enjoying the shops and the atmosphere of the popular town. She shivered as she reread the messages, the last one dated from an hour before.

_'Just so you have it all in writing, the player trying to kill me is of small stature, is covered head to toe in a black cloak and wears a skull mask. I could not determine gender.'_

_ 'I don't know why I even agreed to this.'_

_ 'You do anything for money, don't you? I pay. You get information. Deal?'_

_ 'You're an ass.'_

"God damn him!" Argo stamped her foot, shouting at the top of her lungs. Several players turned to look at her, forcing a blush to Argo's face as she turned away. What did she expect? Kirito was never a very gracious or tactful person and he'd been especially antisocial and provocative lately. She rolled her eyes. Why was she so hung up on a jerk like him?

A slight chiming sound in her ear and a «1» showed up in her messages. A new message from Kirito. Argo bit back more than a fair bit of anger as she opened it.

_'I'm sorry for that. I've been difficult lately. To everyone. Can I make it up to you somehow?'_

She replied quickly, keeping a biting tone.

_'With a shitty attitude like that, it's little wonder someone wants your head.'_

His reply was instantaneous, an extreme rarity from the tight-lipped solo player.

_'What can I do to make you forgive me?'_

'Die in a fire', Argo was tempted to reply, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

_'If you're really intent on earning my forgiveness, meet me at the Mishe teleporter in five minutes. If you're late, you can kiss this job goodbye. No excuses.'_

She stood around watching her clock for four minutes, half-hoping he wouldn't make it in time and half-wishing he'd just show up already. Finally, just a few seconds early, Kirito ran up to her, sweating like a wildebeest in the savannah. He bent over, breathing in deep and gasping for air.

"Sorry I… had to… run all the… way here." Kirito worked out between breaths. "What do… you need me… to do?"

"Just because you're anti-social doesn't mean you get to be rude." Argo crossed her arms. "So you want me to do some work for you? Fine. Whatever. But first you need to learn to deal with people properly."

Kirito stood up, an incredulous look on his face. "But I'm a solo player. I don't need to deal with people."

"Cut the crap, Kirito." Argo growled. "Nobody is a fucking island. If you want to pretend to be some sexy loner badass, that's fine, but you can't expect anyone to believe your shit. Don't sit here lying through your teeth that you're perfectly content being a loner or being a dick. It's not attractive, it isn't interesting and it certainly isn't believable."

"I-"

"You want me to investigate the guy who attacked you?" Argo grabbed the front of Kirito's shirt, scowling as hard as she could. "Then you're gonna work for me. Got it?"

Kirito nodded slowly.

"Good. Follow me."

Argo led the still-exhausted young man, half-dragging him towards a nearby coffee house. The place was packed, though there was just enough space for the two of them to slip into a table. There was no option to prevent people outside from listening to them talk, but Argo wasn't worried about anyone overhearing. The place was too loud, too packed, for anyone to pick out any specific conversation easily.

"One espresso, please." Argo ordered as a player waiter walked over. Kirito shook his head, not ordering anything.

"An espresso in the afternoon?" Kirito shook his head. "You're gonna be up all night."

"That's the plan." Argo raised an eyebrow at him. "And it includes you, since you're coming with me. You should probably drink up, Kii-bou. Don't want you falling asleep while you're slaving away for me, now do we?"

"Of course not." Kirito muttered, calling over the server again.

Once Kirito had made his order and the waitress departed, Argo opened her menu to the notification of her «Murderous Fugue» being sold. Hiding a blush, Argo slid in next to Kirito on his bench so that she could show him the notification.

"What am I looking at?" He asked, looking through the sale details. He paused as he looked at the price. "That's a small fortune right there. Was that the weapon's true value?"

"It's a little more than what I got it appraised for." Argo shrugged. "What's really useful is that whoever bought it didn't bother to set their sale mode to «Private». I have the buyer's username, though that probably doesn't do me as much good as it sounds. It's my first lead to tracking down some PKers I've been hired to find."

"And where do I fit in?" Kirito huffed.

"You, Kirito, are going to help me find this guy." Argo grinned, looking up at the «Black Swordsman» eagerly. "We'll track down this Akira fellow and figure out exactly what's been going on. We may even find your assassin in the process."

"And I'm just gonna be your slave?" Kirito sighed.

"If you care about me forgiving you, then you will be." Argo stared up at him. Her heart grew tight suddenly. She couldn't tell if he gave a crap, honestly. At any moment he might walk out the door and out of her life just like he always did. But this would be the last time. If he left, Argo wouldn't come crawling back again.

After an agonizingly long few moments, Kirito hung his head, sighing.

"Guess I don't have a choice." Kirito scratched his head as Argo beamed at him, a sudden swell in her chest. "What floor are we heading to first?"

* * *

**Akira – Floor 43 – December 30, 2023 – 22:20**

His new «Light Metal Armor» set cost nearly 20,000 Col, but he could feel the quality with every movement. His movement was restricted, but only slightly – he'd argue it was less than his previous set of «Great Snake Leather», which he gleefully sold – easily allowing him to move about. Plates of blackened metal lay on top of hardened leather, giving a solid overlay over most of his body. Joints were black metal chain with cloth padding underneath. The shoulders jutted out slightly, the thin plates giving the armor a vaguely military feel.

Akira flexed his hands, testing the gauntlets, then drew his blade. He'd already renamed it to «Bloodfang». It was corny, sure, but finally he was feeling like he was in a medieval game, fighting as a powerful warrior. And a warrior needed a sword with a dramatic name. «Murderous Fugue» just didn't have the right ring to it.

He stood in the dimly-lit alley leading to the armor shop, flexing in a mirror hanging outside. As much as he liked his new look, it wasn't quite ready yet. Something was missing. Akira sifted through his inventory, finally alighting on a black and brown traveling cloak, intentionally designed to look well-worn. He equipped it and the cloak draped over his shoulders, finally giving him the dramatic and dangerous appearance he wanted. With the «Skull Mask» equipped, he'd cut an impressive figure.

He hoped.

He opened his inventory, searching for the «Skull Mask» item and paused over the description.

'_A terrifying visage made from the harvested skulls of fallen soldiers.'_

Akira shivered. He'd never seen an item like this in any stores. Since PoH had so many of them, it likely meant they were crafted. Did he have to kill people to make them? His hand stopped over the «Equip» button, unsure if he should wear it in public.

"Excuse me," David turned at the voice. A short female player stood in front of him, a playful smile on her pretty face. Short, jet black hair fell around Asiatic features. "But just _what _are you wearing?"

"I… I'm sorry?" Akira backed up a bit, the heat of a blush running up his cheeks. Behind her stood the blue-haired man he'd seen before, the one who laughed at him in the alleyway the day before. His harem of cute girls surrounded him, each of them wearing identical mocking expressions.

"Wari, wari." The blue-haired guy walked over, his hands thrust into the pockets of a flashy, expensive-looking jacket. "We couldn't help but notice you trying all different sorts of armor in there. Figured I could give you some advice."

"A-Advice?" Akira backed away as the young man came closer, a grin on his face. He couldn't have been much older than Akira was, but he carried himself completely differently. His stride was confident, his features attractive and eye-catching.

"Yeah, from one friend to another." The young man leaned in close, his expression turning sour. "Stop trying."

Akira felt his heart stop. "I…"

"Seriously. You should listen to Daedalus, you know." The short girl from before folded her arms, her cute face twisted into a smirk. "He's part of the «Divine Dragon Alliance». He's a clearer!"

"Look, I-I really should go." Akira brushed past Daedalus and the girl, eyes fixated on the ground. His heart was beating fast, his mind racing.

"I'm not done with you yet." He heard Daedalus growl. In an instant, the blue-haired man was in front of him, pressing his hand against the alley wall so Akira couldn't get around him. "How does a pathetic guy like you get armor like that, eh?"

"I… uh… I just came into… into money." Akira finished lamely, realizing afterwards he hadn't denied being pathetic.

"Oh, then you've just got loads of it then, huh?" Daedalus called back to his groupies. "Look at this, girls. This guy's loaded. Doesn't that make you wet?" He turned back to Akira, his face only a couple centimeters away. "Fucking sluts, man. If you're so rich, why don't you spread the wealth, huh?"

"Spread the… wealth?" Akira's mouth turned dry. "I r-really should be going." He whirled about, trying to head the other direction, but the short girl stood in his way, hands on her hips.

"Let's make things clear, boy." Daedalus leaned against the alley wall. "You're gonna give me those fancy items of yours. The way I see it, you're just gonna hurt yourself with equipment like that. Think of it as a favor."

A request appeared in front of him for a «Total Loss Duel». Several items were up for display – wagers, items from the loser that would be given to the winning player. «Bloodfang» and his new armor were all prominently shown. Akira gaped at it, unsure how to respond. All he wanted was to run away, to flee back into the safety of his inn room.

"I-I-I'm not g-gonna accept this!" Akira stared at duel screen, then fervently looked around for an escape. Daedalus stood in front of him, the short girl behind. If he got around her, he could run.

"Fumiko, would you please?" Daedalus cooed.

His thoughts were halted by the short girl, Fumiko, who grabbed his arm and spun him about. She pressed him against the wall, throwing one arm up above his head and kissing him. Her tongue meshed into his, both aggressive and invasive. Akira stood paralyzed, unable to comprehend what was happening as the girl, Fumiko, made out with him.

After a moment, though it seemed like much longer, Fumiko broke away, wiping a trail of saliva from her chin with the back of her hand. She was grinning and Akira could think of nothing to say. Then he noticed the «Duel Accepted» notice on his menu and Fumiko's hand around his wrist.

"Eww," Fumiko called back to the rest of the group, who all tittered. "Tastes like virgin."

Akira watched in horror as the «Duel» monitor appeared above both him and Daedalus, counting down from a minute. Daedalus drew his sword, the «Midnight Espada Ropera». Fumiko fluttered away from him, a cheery expression on her face as she pressed up against Daedalus.

"Good luck, baby." Fumiko pecked him on the cheek before retreating to the side of the alleyway, out of the way of the two duelists.

Daedalus pressed off the ground, landing a solid punch just as the timer signaled the start of the duel. Akira careened backwards, slashing the «Bloodfang» wildly in front of him. Daedalus had already retreated, the point of his rapier dancing in the air in front of him. His stance was tilted forward, a main gauche equipped in his off-hand.

Akira kept his longsword firmly in front of him, both hands in a solid grip around the handle of his blade. «Bloodfang» shook in his hands, rattling as if mocking his fear. He struggled to recall the lessons David had given him in sword-fighting as Daedalus slowly stalked towards him.

Daedalus lunged and Akira brought up his longsword to parry. The main gauche caught his sword and a rush of adrenaline raced through Akira as the rapier slid in between his arms. Akira stumbled backwards, a long red gash along his left arm glowing in the dark. Up above, Akira's health fell slightly.

"Poor fool doesn't know how to fight." Daedalus cackled, his rapier dancing in the air. "Or maybe your kiss just dazzled him too much, Fumiko."

Daedalus stepped in, slashing at Akira's fingers. He tried to block, but the main gauche caught his blade easily. The rapier slid in, stabbing through his side. Akira felt a rush of cold, panic surging. Daedalus pulled the blade out and detached his main gauche from «Bloodfang».

"Aww. He got stabbed." Daedalus feigned sorrow, glancing up at the «Duel» monitor above them. Daedalus' health was still full, while Akira's was already past the middle segment. Every movement his blue-haired tormentor made was accompanied by a jabbing epithet, every jab pulled just short of killing Akira.

Daedalus was toying with him.

"You're boring." Daedalus jumped forward, his main gauche catching Akira's clumsy defensive parry easily. The point of the «Midnight Espada Ropera» rushed in, tearing into his thigh. Another thrust tore through his left arm. His health dipped into the red as Daedalus retreated yet again.

He was going to die.

Akira looked up at the «Duel» monitor, at his pathetically low health. Daedalus was light on his feet, spinning about and grinning wide as he celebrated his imminent victory. Fumiko blew a kiss Akira's way, her face a chaotic mixture of seduction and sadism.

"For what it's worth, you're kinda cute." Fumiko winked at him. "Too bad."

«Bloodfang» gripped firm in his hands, Akira dug his feet into the ground and solidified his stance. His heart pounded, his head aching something fierce. Daedalus danced around him, laughing and joking. Akira charged, his new sword raised high above his head.

With an easy laugh, Daedalus parried the blade overheard with his main gauche. «Bloodfang» glowed red, the veins pulsating on the weapon. An «Alert» glowed on the main gauche right as their weapons collided, the main gauche shattering suddenly. Too slow to respond, Daedalus simply stood still as «Bloodfang» continued its trajectory uninterrupted, slicing down along his left arm and shearing off the hand holding his «Midnight Espada Ropera».

Akira backed away quickly, unsure what had happened. Daedalus stared at his new stump, the yellow «Limb Penalty» warning glowing lightly above the skin. His other hand held the shattered remains of his main gauche. Akira charged in.

"Wait, wait!" Daedalus shouted, throwing his hands forward. "It was just a jo-"

«Bloodfang» sliced through Daedalus' outstretched hand, continuing unimpeded up under his jaw. The longsword dug deep in the man's skull, breaking through to the other side easily. A bright red «Critical Hit» warning appeared over the devastating wound. Daedalus stared down at him dumbly, eyes wide and expression limp as his health raced to zero.

The blue haired man shattered into thousands of pale polygons, each one dancing in the air to the tune of Fumiko screaming.


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Things get a bit dark this chapter. Proceed with caution.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Akira – Floor 43 – December 30, 2023 – 22:36**

"Daedalus…" Fumiko's collapsed as the weight of Daedalus' death pressed down upon her. When her legs gave out beneath her, the action felt inevitable. The blue light Daedalus spawned as the man died faded as the «Duel» monitor flashed Akira's name slowly. Not unlike the dull roar of a cheering crowd, he physically felt the «Duel» monitor chanting his name.

_Akira. Akira. Akira._

A menu popped up in front of him, showing the rewards he'd earned as part of the duels' blood price. The «Midnight Espada Ropera» was among his prizes, as well as an enchanted ring and a few other expensive nothings.

He looked at Fumiko's hands, both pressed against her still face. Her mouth hung open, not yet registering, not yet comprehending. She wore a matching enchanting ring, its faint glow calling out to Akira as it shone in the low light.

"You two were married?" Akira's knew his voice seemed dark and dumb, but he couldn't manage any better. He stared at the grieving Fumiko, his thoughts at a standstill. The woman shook, sobbing, her shrill cries beginning to echo into the alleyway. Akira pointed «Bloodfang» at the rest of Daedalus' harem.

"You should all probably leave." At his whim, they immediately scrambled away, shrieking. None of them had cried or wept over Daedalus' passing. Perhaps they'd find someone else to attach themselves to.

Fumiko herself didn't move. The last of Daedalus was winking out of existence with every shattered polygon. Not a minute before, Akira had been on the brink of death. In that moment his body had moved on its own, driven to desperation by Daedalus' torment.

«Bloodfang» broke Daedalus' main gauche. It was the only reason he'd won. He examined the weapon, recalling its «Chance to Shatter Weapon» property. The percentage was absurdly low. He'd gotten lucky.

He chuckled slowly as he sheathed «Bloodfang». He was lucky! He was _really_ lucky! Somehow the simple thought became a hilarious epithet, a call of relieved frustration. He stopped in his tracks, his whole body shaking with the realization. Trapped in a death game, his woman stolen from him and now assaulted in the streets. He'd been beaten and toyed with. Yet with a simple stroke of luck, he had killed. He lived. His low chortling grew into spastic fits of laughter, foul bursts of air shouted into the air.

He stopped, turning his attention back to the crying woman. His hands opened and closed tight without his volition and he found he didn't care. He didn't know what he wanted to do, but it wasn't going to be good for this stupid bitch. When she kissed him, she had sealed her fate.

Akira reiterated his question. "You two were married?"

Again, the young woman didn't respond.

"I asked you something." Akira grabbed her by the throat, throwing her against the alley wall. Her head slammed against the stone and a loud crack echoed out into the alley. Fumiko squealed, shaking as he held her there. She refused to meet his gaze and he leaned in closer, his face a couple of centimeters from hers. A «Notice» popped up near Fumiko, asking her if she was being harassed. Fumiko spotted it, her hand racing for the menu.

Akira grabbed her hand, thrusting it up into the wall above her head. He pressed against the young woman, his left leg between hers. Her other arm couldn't reach around him to get at the notification. Fumiko struggled against him. Realizing she couldn't get away, she began to cry out for help.

"You were married?" He repeated. Fumiko nodded quickly, her face streaked with tears. Her body shook with each sob. She was _very _pretty, Akira thought. His eyes ran over her body – short, with delicate features. She was probably a few years older than he was. Looked a lot like Lyra.

Unlucky for her. The resemblance was uncanny.

"Look at me." Akira said, his free palm cupping her chin, forcing her face to turn towards him. He stifled a chuckled. Something funny how her cheeks bundled up in his grip. "I told you to look at me." Akira growled. "Why did you people attack me?"

Finally starting to regain some wherewithal, Fumiko glared back at him, her deep brown eyes blackened by the night. Fury and rage and sadness all bundled together into one little human. Remarkable.

"Because you looked like a stupid little shit." Fumiko bit back at him. "Fucking-"

She stopped, the harassment notice fizzling out from lack of use. Fumiko stared at it and Akira felt a swell of power. Harassment notices disappeared if they were ignored? A revelation. Likely for the girl, too. Yet another little surprise from Kayaba.

The players were never as safe as they thought.

"Design flaw, I guess." Akira sniffed her, her aroma a subtle pleasantry. Fumiko recoiled. "Does that mean I get to do whatever I want to you? Since you were married, I assume your «Ethics Code» is turned off?"

She tried to duck away from him, but couldn't escape his grip. He slammed her against the wall again and she crumpled upon it.

"What did I look like back then?" Akira liked the way his voice sounded at that moment. Low and dangerous. It was attractive, he felt. This girl was powerless before him. It was a long moment of staring at her before he realized she still hadn't responded. "Weak? Vulnerable? What about now?"

She wouldn't – no, couldn't – respond.

"What? Did you go mute, Fumiko?" He let her name slide off his tongue. "You're not really talkative now that our roles are reversed, you know."

Still no response. Akira let her go suddenly and the girl slumped over. The back of his hand whipped around, striking the side of the young girl's face. A satisfying thump echoed into the alley as Fumiko fell to the ground. Akira stared at his hand for a second. He hadn't expected to hit so hard. His «Strength» stat was higher than he expected. Akira smiled.

Fumiko stared at the ground, eyes wide with shock and pain while she tried to get her bearings. A red mark adorned her cheek, the damage to her avatar shining in the low light, indicating an injury. Soon the red would fade, replaced by a fake bruise. After a moment, she began to scramble to her feet.

"Fucking cunt!" Akira kicked her, his foot impacting her head heavily, sending Fumiko sprawling. She froze up, staring into space and saying nothing.

Seeing her lying on the ground, her clothes rumpled and a bruise forming on her neck, he felt the air leave him. The adrenaline faded, the sense of power and accomplishment suddenly ringing hollow and false. Yes, Daedalus was dead. Fumiko could be broken if Akira wanted. He had won.

So what now?

Ignoring Fumiko's beaten and shell-shocked form, Akira stalked off, heading in a direction he didn't bother to register. Somewhere above him, fireflies began to gather, their lights shining a slight green. At some point he looked up to find himself below an oak tree, its leaves a dark orange in the night. With each step he became more and more uncertain.

He collapsed onto the bench below the tree, staring at the soft dirt between his legs. He wasn't sure how long he had walked, but he was nowhere near the armor shop now. Nothing moved among fallen leaves. No insects or small lizards. No birds chirped in the nights. Somewhere in the distance, crickets chimed a lullaby, but they always did that. The same sound every night. Fireflies danced in the dark somewhere beyond the reach of his outstretched hands.

"You sent him to heaven." He turned towards the voice. Emi stood in the dark, her bare feet sinking slightly into soft grass. She smiled at him, her hands clasped firmly behind her back.

"Yeah." He sighed. The girl lightly stepped over to him and grabbed his face, holding his head between her hands. She was beaming, her face bright and cheerful. A slight red dashed her pale cheeks, her long blonde hair falling over her face. Emi didn't look anything like Lyra, but Akira found himself self-conscious of how close she was regardless.

"You did great, Akira!" Emi's voice was rushed and excited. She pressed her forehead against his head. She was warm and soft. Comforting, somehow. When she finally broke away from him Akira felt a tangible loss. "That was wonderful!"

"Wonderful?"

"Yes!" Emi spun away from him, her face alight with joy. Such a pretty smile. "Akira! You're the one I've been looking for! The one who will answer my question! Oh boy, it feels like I've been searching forever! And I've finally found the right person!"

"Your question?" Akira responded slowly.

"Yeah!" Emi giggled. "You're gonna send lots and lots of people to heaven, aren't you? You're gonna help me find it!"

* * *

**David – Floor 43 – December 31, 2023 – 11:29**

"Where's Lyra?"

It was a question David had dreaded to hear all morning. All throughout breakfast, the Tank had stared at him, his ugly brow furrowed and uncertain. Sophie was struggling to hide that she hadn't noticed anything. Akira alternated between adopting a thousand-yard stare and glaring at David. It was a particularly annoying habit that the kid had picked up at some point but it wasn't significant enough of an issue that David felt he should say something. Even so, the fifteen-year old was getting more and more annoying every passing moment.

Walking towards the teleporter with the entire group – sans Lyra and Muscles – the pressing question became inevitable. The Tank's brow had retreated further and further up his head as the morning progressed. It had gotten so bad that David wondered if the Tank's eyebrows would begin to merge with his receding hairline. The Tank held his tongue when Lyra failed to appear for breakfast, when Lyra didn't respond to any of his messaged demands to get her ass ready, and when Lyra didn't leave the inn with them. Now that they were about to leave the floor, something had to be said.

"You may as well be asking where Muscles is." David laughed, scratching the back of his head. "The guy's been gone for a while now!"

Classic deflection, David. Well done.

"Muscles is running an errand for me." The Tank replied, his voice deep and resonant. The beefy, short man was pushing forty. David thought he could see creases of worry lining his face. "But Lyra's been acting weird since we got the job from PoH. She didn't run off, did she?"

"No, she'll be meeting up with us later." David said quickly, struggling to keep his anxiety out of his voice. None of them could be allowed to know the truth. If PoH found out she ran… "After last night, she's a bit indisposed."

"Indisposed? After last night?" Sophie questioned him. With the Tank to his left and Akira and Sophie behind him, David felt trapped. Lying wasn't really his strong suit.

"Yeah, uh, y-you know." David waved his hands, struggling to think of something to say. They walked past groups of monster farmers, each ignorant of David's pressing plight. "Indisposed. She… uh…"

"Lyra stayed in your room last night, didn't she?" Sophie adopted a wry grin. "Oh, to be young again. You two are lucky to have each other. Don't worry. You don't need to talk about your private time with her. We understand."

"Yeah, we are lucky." David chuckled, well aware of how awkward he sounded. "I… uh… suppose." The Tank was still staring, unconvinced. He had to lie like he meant it! David switched his tone, straightening his gait and applying a more masculine inflection to his voice. He filled his voice with a false sense of pride. The pride of a conquest. His voice full of innuendo, he continued. "I'm not surprise Lyra's been absent all morning. After all the taboos we broke last night, she's probably too ashamed to show her face."

The Tank's expression lightened, a jovial grin crossing his face. He slammed his hand down on David's back, lurching him forward in an aggressively affectionate display of congratulations. A few more overtly masculine thumps and David could feel his back getting sore.

"You finally screwed her, huh?" The Tank chortled. "It's about time! I can't even god damn count how many time I've caught you two looking at each other. You give it to her good, kid?"

"Hell yeah I did." David grinned. He caught Akira in the edge of his vision. The kid stared at the ground, his expression unreadable. Sophie looked more shocked than anything, her gentle and wistful expression exchanged with one that more resembled horror. Even in the midst of his rather heinous lie, David couldn't help but feel a cruel sense of satisfaction. He'd destroyed any sanctity in Sophie's vision of David and Lyra's relationship.

"Finally." The Tank threw his head back. "You remind me of myself, you know. Except you're just a puny man, unlike me. I remember when I met my ex-wife. Oh man, did she like it weird. We were going at it like rabbits for months, kid. Day and night. Months! And she did this thing where she would grab my-"

"All right!" Sophie interrupted him, panic apparently overwhelming her. "We don't need to hear any stories of your conquests, Tank. Please."

"Nonsense, woman!" The Tank slapped David on the back again. "I gotta hand down my tales for the future generation! Ain't no reason to have crazy sex unless you're gonna brag about it to the innocent and the meek."

Fully intending to keep the distraction going, David jumped right back into it. "So any of you ever hear of the jackhammer? Lyra and I-"

"Oh my god." Sophie rolled her eyes.

"The jackhammer?" The Tank grinned. David wasn't even sure what it was. "Heard of it? I practically invented it! That brings back some memories. There was this broad in college twenty years ago. Big and busty, but fuckin' smart, and I just went to town on her this one night…" The Tank started acting it out with his hands now, regaling them with a tale of the busty broad from his long-gone college days. Whether any of it was truth or not was irrelevant. Behind him, David heard Sophie's jaw drop lower and lower with every overwhelmingly descriptive and irreverent conquest from that specific encounter. Akira remained silent throughout the entire exchange.

"…so then after we got the Eiffel Tower set up with her, me and the director of the college, things started getting crazy. The bongo player, regrettably, passed out the hour before and there were at least fifteen other people waiting in line for their turn and-" The Tank stopped in mid conversation, interrupted by a sudden outburst by Sophie. Her face was thoroughly red, her blush stretching ear to ear. David grinned.

"Enough! We don't need to hear any more!" Sophie protested. Her hand rested on Akira's shoulder, like she was protecting him somehow. The kid simply stared at the ground. "David, you shouldn't be talking about Lyra like that. What you two do in private is none of our business! If she knew how you talked about her…" She turned to the Tank, too flustered to continue ranting at David. "And you! I know you're about as delicate and tactful as a nuclear warhead, but watch your mouth! My god, Akira is still only a teenager!"

"Hey, woman, lay off." The Tank grumbled. "Ain't nothing wrong with two or five or more consenting adults smashin' uglies in horrifically arcane ways."

"No, I understand that." Sophie sighed. "Whatever. I don't even know what to say to you." She turned to David. "You're violating Lyra's privacy by bragging like that. And besides, not all of us want to hear about it." A side glance from Sophie to Akira caught David's attention.

David looked forward, down the road. Several groups of people were walking towards the outskirts of town, likely headed into the forest for some farming. A few high school students mixed in with older party members. He stopped, looking over the rest of his party. The Tank took a few more steps before pausing, realizing David wasn't following.

According to one of the information brokers he'd worked with, the median age of the people playing Sword Art Online was about 20. However, there were hundreds of minors in the game as well. Hundreds of kids trapped in a death game not of their own will.

"What's up?" The Tank grumbled. David turned to Akira, who still wouldn't meet his gaze. For the first time, David noticed that Akira had adopted a disturbingly ornate longsword. Its black leather sheath hung from his belt, decorations of people being killed in excruciatingly detailed ways running along its length.

"Hey, Newbie." David thumped Akira's shoulder. He just turned away. "I want you to stay out of today's fight." David sighed, looking around the street quickly to check for anyone eavesdropping. "I haven't had much of a chance to tutor you in PVPing lately and I'm sorry about that. But I don't want you to get hurt, so why don't you hang back?"

Akira looked up at him. David noticed the dark circles under his eyes, the tired expression on his otherwise youthful face. A slow grin stretched along the high school student's face and Akira glared back at him. Despite the grin, he just looked empty. David felt a shiver run up his spine.

"Fuck you, man." Akira said, brushing past him.

For a moment, David stared at Akira's back, uncertain what had just happened.

"Well, fuck you too." David muttered.

* * *

**Argo – Floor 43 – December 31, 2023 – 12:01**

She woke quickly but the vision of her dreams refused to fade away. Argo tore the soft, cool white sheets off of herself and stood. Running to the bathroom, her heart thumping and mind racing, she struggled to shake off a growing feeling of dread and embarrassment.

Argo stopped herself in front of the mirror. Her face glowed red with a heavy flush and a cold sweat ran down her back. At another time she would have marveled about how realistic every sensation was, at how closely «Sword Art Online» mimicked real life. Now it didn't matter. The young woman ran back out to the main area of her room just to make sure the door was closed. When she was sure she had complete privacy she finally uttered the words aloud. Words that threatened to tear themselves from her body without her volition.

"A sex dream? Really?" Argo groaned with embarrassment, collapsing onto her bed. She lay face down against the soft duvet. She was still blushing, speaking into her bed sheets. "I only just met up with him again and I'm already dreaming about _sleeping _with him?"

She turned over, letting herself slide off the bed and onto the floor, dragging the duvet and a pillow down with her. Argo recalled the dream vividly. For a moment, the images conjured by her sleeping mind graced her again. Kirito's soft touch against her skin, his warm breath against her neck, the way he pressed against her body as he…

"Damn it!" Argo shouted, throwing her pillow at the wall. A purple «Indestructible Object» on the wall met with a red «Destructible Object» from the pillow. She hugged the duvet, alternating between guilt and embarrassment.

Logically, she knew there was nothing wrong with having a dream like that. Argo pressed the duvet against her chest. But to dream about it so quickly? She barely knew the guy! Did she want him so badly? What was she, an animal?

The longer she sat fuming, staring at the fallen pillow, the more her heartbeat began to still. She wrung her hands, calming herself down. Eventually, the embarrassment began to fade and the redness seeped out of her cheeks. It was just a dream, after all. Nothing wrong with a fantasy.

And it _was _a fun dream.

After a few moments, she got up to get dressed. It was already just past noon. She and Kirito had spent all night going over «Death Registry» files for the floor and digging around for information about the shop that sold her «Murderous Fugue». Finally, at two hours past midnight, they'd retreated to separate inn rooms to sleep. She opened her menu, sending off a quick message to him.

_'Good afternoon, Kii-bou. You awake yet?'_

When she sent it, she noticed a «1» next to her inbox. She opened the message quickly. The time-stamp put it at around 3:00, or about an hour after she had gone to sleep. It was from Lind.

_'Argo. There's been a development. One of my guild mates was murdered last night in the streets of Llyne in a «Total Loss Duel».'_

She sighed, typing out a response quickly.

_'I'm sorry for your loss. However, not every duel to the death is going to be connected to my investigation into RedSCAR's killers.'_

She sent the message, wondering if it was a bit of a rude response. Lind was a sub-leader of the «Divine Dragon Allliance». Undoubtedly he was under an incredible amount of stress after losing six members a month ago and another member the night before. She walked to the bathroom, scrolling through her menu quickly.

Argo alternated between outfits. A simplistic black and white summer dress? Shorts and a t-shirt? She was grateful that most of the clothes in the game had relatively modern appearances. It helped too that player-made clothing could actually be designed by players. While more traditional medieval outfits were sometimes found, most people preferred to dress in an odd mixture of medieval fashion mixed with modern sensibilities. The more hardcore role-players didn't tend to be clearers either, so it was rare that she saw period-accurate clothes.

As she changed, she found herself turning to the investigation she was trying to conduct. She had only tidbits of information to piece together. RedSCAR's missing party. Hikari's brother and his group of raiders vanishing on Floor 43. And on the same floor, a powerful PVP weapon purchased in Llyne by someone named 'Akira'. Then, only a short time later, Lind's guild mate was killed in a duel. It was possible all of the events were connected, but all of her attempts so far in figuring it out were futile. Today she'd actually have to contact another information broker; loathe as she was to do so, she had no choice. Even if Lind was being paranoid, it was worth checking out the circumstances of the duel.

Eventually she settled on a simple pair of brown shorts and a black shirt, with her favorite brown cloak on top of those. Really, she only liked it because that's how she imagined a thief would look like in that time period. Argo grinned, turning around in the mirror and enjoying how the cloak fluttered around her. Just as she was ready, a message popped up on her menu.

_'Yeah, I'm up. Come on downstairs. I'll pay for your breakfast.'_

Argo felt her heart flutter just a little and she raced out into the hall. She bolted down the hallway, heading for the stairs. As she rounded a corner, she rammed full-speed into another player, sending them both falling backwards.

"Ah! Sorry!" Argo got to her feet, helping the other player up quickly. She was Japanese with a mess of straight black hair falling around her face. "I wasn't looking. I really shouldn't be running around inside."

"No, no. It's okay." The Asian girl smiled. "Were you… were you staying at the room at the end of the hall?"

"Huh?" Argo looked around the corner, towards her room. "Yeah, I suppose I was. Why do you ask?"

"I'm sorry, but when did you rent out the room?" Argo cocked an eyebrow. What did she care?

"Late last night."

"Did you hear anyone come back?" Argo shook her head. "Not at all? Damn."

"If you don't mind me asking, what do you want to know for?" Argo looked the woman over. She was taller than Argo, but would still probably be classified as short. That particular detail grated on Argo more than a bit. She didn't like being 5'2". The woman hung her head, sighing heavily.

"I thought that maybe I could meet up with a friend. It's probably going to be a long time before I get to see him again." The woman sighed. "But I was too late. He's already left."

"A friend?" Argo smirked. "You mean a lover, don't you?"

"Ah, I, uh…" The woman blushed. Normally, Argo would feel a bit of guilt about joking around with someone she barely knew, but she couldn't help it. "Yeah, I suppose you could call us lovers. Unfortunately, it looks like we're going to have to part ways for a long time."

"I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's okay. I'm sorry for bothering you. Thank you." And just like that, the woman turned and left. Argo started after her for a moment, hesitating. It was probably nothing. Probably. The Japanese woman had been around Argo's age but she looked older somehow. As if something was weighing her down so much that she'd been aged beyond her years.

Kirito was waiting for her at the bar as Argo pranced down the steps of the inn, an unexplained giddiness building inside her. She planted herself at the seat next to him and grinned at him.

"Good afternoon!" She said, adopting a cheerful tone.

"Good afternoon." Kirito replied, his mouth full with food. The innkeeper set something down in front of the broker, a baked giant pill bug or something. Not very appetizing.

"You've been asleep for a while, you know." Kirito said, not bothering to swallow before talking. "I thought you were the type to be dedicated to a job, not sit around and sleep."

"We were up until 2 in the morning. Don't blame a girl for sleeping in."

"Ten hours of sleep is still a lot." Kirito took another large mouthful of food. "It's a miracle you get anything done if you're this lazy."

Argo sighed. How Kirito had avoided being murdered for being such an ass astounded her.

"You're just full of tact and subtlety today." Argo said, keeping her voice heavy with a complaint. "I can see why nobody likes you."

"Nobody?" Kirito hesitated. "I'm pretty sure _somebody _likes me."

"Nope. Nobody."

"Not even you?" Kirito spun towards her, ignoring the food on his plate. Argo flinched, suddenly very conscious of how close he was getting to her.

"I…" She ignored the flashes of imagery from her dream. A vision of a heavy sigh and strong hands trailing down her bare… Argo froze up, fighting a mounting embarrassment.

"Something wrong?"

"N-Nothing." Argo was well aware of how red her face was becoming. She spun away from him in her stool as a beeping chimed in her ear. A new message from Lind. Argo opened her menu.

_'Lyle told me that you'd been asking around about someone named Akira. Maybe this will convince you, Argo. My murdered guild mate had a wife who witnessed his killing. She says the perpetrator had the username Akira. Tell me now that your investigation is still unrelated and I'll fire you.'_

"Ne, Kii-bou." Argo looked back at him. "We've got ourselves another lead."

* * *

**Sierra – Floor 35 – December 31, 2023 – 14:01**

"Hey Danat, play some violin for us!" Pollux shouted over his shoulder, the big man balancing on top of one of the dining room chairs. Danat swore back at him from the other room, but Sierra couldn't quite make out exactly what he'd said. Pollux laughed, a deep and heavy sound. "Did your mother ever discipline you as a child? My god, that tongue of yours."

Hikari was across the small room, starting the virtual fire. The farmhouse that Castor and Pollux had borrowed was a response to an ad they'd put out through Argo's «Strategy Guide». Without the broker's help, they'd have been forced to have their New Year's party at some dinky city inn. The owner of the farmhouse was preparing the drinks and cooking food in the kitchen, for the most part staying out of their way.

"Hey, Danat," Hikari called from the fireplace. "Jacob managed to craft fireworks, right? The big ones?"

"Hell yeah, he did." Danat walked into the living room, violin in hand. "Wouldn't shut up all day yesterday about peonys and rings and whatnot. The guy is a complete nut. If I had a sister, I would not trust that guy around her."

Pollux finished setting up a string of cards along the doorframe, each one emblazoned with different pictures of the «Eternal Brotherhood»'s adventures. Sierra smiled up at one in particular, where she had saved Hikari's life from a dungeon trap. In the picture, the bruised and beaten Hikari had thrown back her head, laughing from exhaustion. She hung off of Sierra's shoulder, relying on her savior to walk.

Other photos caught her eye as well. One showed Danat looking up at Christmas fireworks, one of his infamously rare smiles across his face. In another, Castor and Pollux interlinked their arms, draining massive glasses of beer together. With both of the big, bearded men in roughly the center of the picture, it looked shockingly like someone had taken a half of a picture and mirrored it, changing the hair color of the resulting man. They were 'identical in everything except where it counts,' according to Pollux.

There was another one, a picture of Sierra and Hikari in the doorway to a weapon shop, about to kiss. They'd been caught by Pollux, who had followed them around the entire day in a misguided determination to 'see something hot'. Hikari had protested mightily about including that picture, but nobody in the guild had supported her in getting rid of it. Not even Sierra. Of course, it was Hikari who pressed embarrassingly close to Sierra, not the other way around.

"The rest of the guild gets here in an hour, right?" Sierra called out. She hung around the doorway to the farmhouse, leaning halfway over. Danat nodded as he began to play a piece on his violin, the long sonorous tones heavy with emotion.

"Is that mother-fucking Gnossienne 1?" Pollux shouted at hearing the somber music. Danat stamped his foot, demanding silence, but Pollux would have nothing of it. The big man jumped from his chair, stomping over to Danat. "Play something cheery, damn it!"

"This is a classic!" Danat stopped playing, his face a mixture of mock horror and annoyed amusement. "How dare you insult it?"

"We're at a party, not a funeral!" Pollux slapped Danat on the back playfully. "Play something happy!" Danat sighed. Immediately he jumped into a simplified Chopin's Funeral March.

Sierra ducked out of the farmhouse before Pollux exploded again. Castor sat in the wide front yard, leaning back in a chair on the wood patio and staring out at the horizon. The sun was just past the middle mark now, illuminating a bright blue sky and emerald-green fields of grass. Farmland surrounded them, separated by miniscule fences or gravel roads. Sierra could make out Mishe somewhere off to her right.

"Hey!" Castor called to her, gesturing to the chair next to him. Sierra took it eagerly. "I was just enjoying the view before I get back to helping the others set everything up. Trust me! I'm not slacking. Not at all."

Sierra jabbed him in the shoulder. "Oh brave leader, I'd never think ill of you! You'd never desert your comrades in their time of need."

"Is that sarcasm?" Castor laughed. "I should have you tied to a flagpole and tickled for spreading antiestablishment sentiments among the ranks."

"Try it if you dare." Sierra shot back, a wide smile forming on her lips. She stared at the horizon with him. In the distance, windmills turned, their wide fans shining a bright white. "You know, I forget sometimes that this isn't real."

"It is real." Castor responded, his voice taking on an odd inflection. It was something she didn't hear often from her guild leader.

"How do you mean?"

"Even if we aren't physically here, doing what we do, it's not like what we do suddenly doesn't count." Castor smiled as a light wind ran over them both. Sierra could hear Danat and Pollux arguing inside, the occasional burst of tragically sad violin music interspersed with the shouting.

"You gonna get all longwinded about philosophy on me, boss?" Sierra folded her legs, sitting cross-legged on her wide rocking chair. "Make sure you wake me up when you get to Kafka. Your rant about him is the only funny one."

"Oh shush. Kafka is the only one who thinks Kafka is funny." Castor waved his hands, but suddenly grew somber again. "In many ways I have to thank you, Sierra."

"Thank me?"

"It's because of you and Hikari and Danat that this guild has come so far." Castor shook his head. "Pollux just tagged along and make bad jokes, so I'm not including him in that list. We've got over twenty members now, but it all began with us."

"Hey!" Sierra laughed, remembering her first meeting with the two diametrically opposed brothers. "We would never have met if Pollux hadn't made that rude comment about Hikari and I, so he contributed. A little."

"My brother is in serious need of tact." Castor shook his head. "And speaking of lack of tact, can I ask a personal question?"

"Go for it."

"If we ever get out the game, what will you do? Where would you go?"

Sierra hesitated before responding. It's not like she hadn't thought about it before, but she'd never brought her thoughts to voice before. There were a couple of things she knew she had to do once she was out, but beyond that…

"I guess…" The windmills turned, tracing perfect circles in the air. "I'll probably marry Hikari. Once I can afford it, at least. And I suppose at some point I've got to patch things up with my parents. Probably shouldn't leave things the way I left them. Not after-" Sierra gestured to the distance, "-all this."

"I feel guilty for saying so, but this last year might have been the best of my life." Castor shrugged. "Even if this is a death game, I've never felt so alive. Mixed up in all this terror, in this fear and uncertainty, is a profound sense of reality. This-" Castor pointed down at the ground, his expression hard, "Is the most human I've ever felt. Isn't that fucked up?"

"Not at all, boss." Sierra leaned back in her chair. "I feel the exact same way."

* * *

**Akira – Floor 35 – December 31, 2023 – 15:11**

"There's the rest of them, boss." Red-Eyed XaXa lowered his crossbow. Akira noticed a slight green haze leave the player's vision as he turned off his «Far-sight» ability. The young man reequipped his «Skull Mask», which mixed well with his black iron «Light Metal Armor». "Twenty-one players in all, just like you said. The last two just came up the road on horseback."

"Good." PoH leaned out the windmill's small window, narrowing his eyes. "Heads would start rolling if I found out I was given false information this late in the act. Even with the sun setting behind us, we'll have trouble getting close with such a large number. The secondary team in the forest should be ready by now."

Akira turned away from the window and leaned over the interior railing of the windmill. Most of the building was empty save for the rotor mechanism running through the center. Down at the base, many of the «Laughing Coffin» members waited patiently, though Akira could feel the fear and uncertainty. There were fewer people here than there were at the gathering even if he took into account the flanking team.

He spotted David and felt his fists clench without his volition. The player was outfitted in a new set of equipment. It was impressive, but that only make Akira angrier. David sported red and brown dragon-skin leather armor, covering him completely aside from his face. Brown and red spikes jutted from the knuckles of his gauntlets and he gripped a longbow tight in his hands. A new katana was sheathed at his belt.

Lyra was still nowhere to be found.

"You really don't like him, don't you?" PoH appeared at his side, startling him. "David. The one with the bow and katana."

"I… No." Akira shook his head. "Honestly, I fucking hate him."

"Well, that's certainly a problem." PoH shook his head. "I can't have conflict in a guild that's so young. It's just not healthy." Akira stiffened. Red-Eyed XaXa had left, leaving Akira lone with the guild leader. "Tell me what's the source of the conflict and I'll be sure to figure out a way to make everything right."

"There isn't a way to make it right." Akira shook his head. "It's like you said before. Sometimes there is no other solution to a conflict than violence. That's why we're all gathered here, isn't it?"

"David is not Daedalus." PoH sighed, leaning against the railing. The beads interwoven into his hair clinked, the locks falling over his handsome face. Briefly Akira wished he looked like that. If he did, maybe Lyra would have fallen for him instead of David.

"You already know about Daedalus? Somehow I figured you would." Akira narrowed his eyes. "So what now? Gonna lecture me about killing him? Or congratulate me? Or what?"

"I think you underestimate exactly how neutral I prefer to be." PoH's voice was like velvet. It was enticing, alluring. It begged Akira to listen, drawing him in slowly but certainly. "Daedalus assaulted you in the streets. He was probably less of a murderer and more of a bully, but the end result is the same. You determined that he deserved to die and you meted out the punishment. A man should do no more or less than what he decides must be done."

"If you're neutral, why resolve the conflict between David and me?"

"Pragmatism." PoH made it seem so simple. As if Akira could just abandon this hatred for the sake of logic. "David is quite the skilled fighter and I'd rather not lose either one of you. But enough of that. I will resolve that given time. I have more pressing questions."

"Like what?" Listening to his own voice made him feel small and weak in comparison. His voice was high and reedy, pathetically incapable of carrying the weight that PoH handled easily.

"How did it feel?" PoH leaned in close, wrapping an arm around Akira's shoulder. He smelled _really _nice. Just like Fumiko did. "You've killed your first man. In my opinion, the first time is always the best. So many things in life are."

Akira stepped away from PoH, breaking out in a sudden sweat. Daedalus was dead. Daedalus was dead. The thought had eaten at him the entire day, but not so much the thought of Fumiko forced up against the wall. Instead of seeing Daedalus' horrified face as he shattered into a thousand pieces, he felt his leg pressing between Fumiko's as she struggled to get away from him. He gripped his hair tight, pulling at it subconsciously. Her scent, the feel of her against him. It was wrong. All wrong.

"Are you okay?" PoH's voice was filled with concern and caring. The sound of it threatened to tear holes in Akira's heart.

"It's… nothing." Akira shook his head, walking to the window. Suddenly he was light-headed. "He deserved it. That's… That's all."

"Do you regret it?" PoH stepped up to him, the tall man's presence enveloping Akira completely. "Daedalus was a robber. You weren't the first player he'd attacked and you wouldn't have been the last. Isn't it more moral that you killed him?"

"Morality? From a murderer?" Akira coughed out a laugh. "Maybe I am in the right place." Dread tore at him, forcing the words from his mouth. "PoH, you're as fucked up as I am, aren't you?" The man began to respond, but Akira cut him off. "I don't even care that Daedalus is dead. That felt_ good_. I destroyed Daedalus and I enjoyed every moment of it. When he shattered, the only emotion I felt was _giddiness_. Shouldn't I be having some sort of moral crisis about it?"

"You aren't. So where is the issue?"

"Fumiko, Daedalus' wife." Akira shook his head. "She kissed me so that she could move my hand to accept Daedalus' duel request. After Daedalus died, I… I wanted her. I had power over her. It was intoxicating. It's only now, thinking back on it… I came so close to…"

He felt an upwelling of sickness, his stomach tightening up immensely. He didn't want to say it aloud, didn't want to bring that thought into reality. But there it was. It was true.

"Power." PoH nodded, his voice deep and understanding. "There is little reason why anyone else does anything. Ultimately, I am not a judge of your actions, for they do not matter to me. All that matters to me is that «Laughing Coffin» persists. That my _idea _lives. So long as our members remain alive, both physically and ideologically, I am content. If that means that we all become murderers or thieves or worse, then so be it. Any sin is worth bearing if it means casting off the shackles of our current paradigm.

"You did nothing wrong, Akira." PoH laid a hand on Akira's shoulder, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "You killed to defend yourself and you lashed out against a woman who helped someone terrorize you. The petty morality you were brought up with, that the world forced upon you, is irrelevant here. The only thing that matters now is your strength.

"Fumiko was weak, but you are powerful."


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**David – Floor 35 – December 31, 2023 – 17:03**

Outside the windmill, gravel gave way to grass and farmland. A nearby farmhouse lit candles in preparation for the coming night. NPC farmers slowly made their way indoors to sleep and wait for another day, their movements lackadaisical in their whimsy. He saw a little girl run up to her brother, slapping him on the back and calling him names. Driven by a faux anger, the NPC brother shouted and chased after her, arms raised in defiant play. The siblings' happy shrieks and giggles were interrupted by a stern warning from their father, who stood in the doorway of their meagre house.

"You think they're conscious?" A rough, gravelly voice to the side. XaXa walked up to him, hands thrust into jacket pockets. He was rough and unshaven, his hair disheveled. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting you to join up with PoH. Thought you were too good for us."

"Even I need money." David didn't smile at XaXa nor did his old friend smile back. "It's been a long time since we've worked together. You've picked up the crossbow."

"Always been good with ranged weapons. A pull-lever crossbow works well for me." XaXa glanced over his shoulder, back at the windmill. Most of the others kept inside to avoid notice by the «Eternal Brotherhood». He gestured at the estoc on his belt. "It was a more natural choice than my old longsword, though I've kept that weapon too."

"I've noticed."

"So what do you think?" XaXa nodded at the NPCs gathering at the entrance to the farmhouse. "Do you think they feel anything? None of them respawn, you know. Others take their place, but it's never quite the same."

"They're just programs." The little girl jumped onto the little boy's shoulders, directing him around. In the doorway, the stern father's expression softened, smiling lightly at the kids' antics.

"I suppose so." XaXa sighed. Both men gazed out over the farmland, silent for a long time. Behind the farmhouse, they could see Mishe in the distance. Eventually, the NPC father corralled his two young kids inside, strong hands guiding young shoulders. Just before entering, he waved at the two players. Neither waved back.

XaXa hadn't changed from the early game. With the exception of his added crossbow, he held the same lanky gait, the same relaxed posture. His eyes were wider now, his movements wary and quick, but his eyes were still held that thoughtful, quiet weight. Even though he'd colored his eyes red, David couldn't help but appreciate the sameness of the man.

"It's been an odd few months." XaXa said, breaking the silence between the two friends. "Even while I try to figure everything out, answer my own questions, I get confused. PoH will tell me one thing, but then I'll go out on my own into town, or I'll do a quest, only to find a different truth. A different reality. It's difficult to sort through all these perspectives, especially those in diametric contradiction."

"Guess you just gotta figure it out for yourself."

XaXa shifted his weight, leaning on the nearby fence and staring down at the subtle farmland all around them. Greens and golds and reds played out in harmony, real enough to make David miss a real field of grass, a real sunset.

"You ever think about the early days?" XaXa asked, wringing his hands. "About when we partied together?"

"Not really." David lied.

"I tracked down the bounty hunters, you know." XaXa pulled up his menu, opening his inventory and sending the image of an item to David. Upon seeing it, he felt his heart begin to race, thumping deep in his ears. Half-remembered memories returned to him all at once, a name and a feeling he'd tried so hard to forget. "Killed all three of them in their sleep. They hadn't set a watch since their «Perception» skills were so high. My «Stealth» skill was higher." XaXa spun around, cocking an eyebrow. "What is it like to die in your sleep? Do you pass on without noticing?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Didn't expect you to."

Inside the farm-house, David could see the family set their table for dinner. The wife of the man was young, perhaps only in her twenties. Very pretty, with broad hips and a modest chest. The NPC husband, the farmer, kissed her lightly on the lips as she set the table. Then, as she passed by him, he tickled her, sending the young woman jumping into the air and into the embrace of the husband.

The wife, caught by surprise, wrapped her arms around her husband. For a long time, the two of them looked at each other before one of the children started tugging on her dress. David raised his eyebrows at the complexity of the scene. A programmed sequence of events?

"I think," XaXa's voice became hard. David looked over at the man, but he was still calm. "I think I fell in love with her during that long, winter month."

"Now isn't the time to get into this."

David blinked the painful memories away, hiding a newfound vulnerability. It had been a long time since he'd last thought about it, about the bloody Christmas the three of them had endured together.

"You two." David turned. The Tank headed towards them, fully armored in heavy black plate, his new suit of armor – the «Nightmare Rider's Steel Plate» – purchased with the payment for the job. "PoH wants everyone to get ready. We start the attack soon, so stop being so fucking gay for each other."

"Gay for each other?" David asked.

"Yeah, this dramatic conversation you two are having together, staring at the sunset and all. Sophie is having a damn fit laughing about it." David looked over the Tank's shoulder, at the fully-armored woman chuckling in the doorway to the mill, her face bright with mirth.

"I was just catching up with a friend." David shrugged. He opened his inventory, scrolling through the list until his finger alighted on the «Skull Mask» item. "Don't get your panties in a twist." Behind the Tank, David saw Muscles walk up, his face blank. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Busy." Muscles said, and that was all David was going to get out of him.

"We'd best get prepared." Red-Eyed XaXa clapped David on the shoulder, sporting a weak smile. The tall young man sported deep bags under his eyes; his cursor was orange, of course. "I'll see you on the battlefield, David."

"Yeah. Sure." David shrugged and the man from his past turned back to the windmill.

Nearly a year ago, though sometimes – on those mornings where he woke in a cold sweat, his heart racing – it felt like so much longer, the two of them needed each other. Live or die, they wouldn't have been apart.

They learned the game together. They fought and killed, laughed and cried, suffered and lived, together. In their naivety, the two had almost begun to enjoy the death game. And then they met her, an NPC with a sharp wit and a flair for personality. David sighed and stared at the sky.

If they knew how it would end, would they have even tried?

* * *

**Sierra – Floor 35 – December 31, 2023 – 18:22**

"We live only to discover beauty. All else is a form of waiting." Castor saluted to the reddening sky, provoking a slight swish of the wine in his glass. All around them the greens of farmland and subtle browns of houses started the slow, red fade into night as the sun began to set.

"I'll leave you to it, struggling to be profound." Sierra slapped her boss and long-time friend on the back before taking off towards the farmhouse. The rest of the guild had gathered in full – the mappers congregated in one section, the fighters in another. The two groups, though they often intermingled during boss fights, rarely interacted with each other. One was heading towards the back of the farmhouse, where a small, fenced-off yard lay. The front portion, where Hikari sat, was wider and more open, lying on a slight hill and bordered by a wide fence.

The segregation among the two groups a big thing Danat wanted to change; the man was repeatedly pressuring Castor and Pollux to rotate people from one group to other. With the loss of Hikari's brother and the rest of his raiding group, they might be forced into it. Castor didn't like the idea. "Specialists are specialists!" he would say. Maybe he was right.

Hikari sat with the mappers, laughing lightly at a joke made by one of the younger members. He was one of the new guys, a handsome young man who favored the longbow. According to Danat, he was one of the most promising of the recruits. Most of the rest of the guild lay about the hill, waiting for the fireworks to start. The farmhouse was closed for now, the owner disappearing to run an errand somewhere in town. What was his name again? Kaoru?

Sierra turned back to the windmills rotating in the distance, their gentle motion a consistent thing despite there being no significant amount of wind. It was only a small unreality, a deviation so minor that it didn't bear noticing. She noticed it all the same.

There had been a smock mill near the house she had grown up in. It was a classic piece of work, designed to replicate its predecessors from the 19th century. Hard, chiseled stone and carefully constructed wood supported a structure that seemed larger than life. It even retained the octagonal form of the traditional smock mills, each side clapboarded with light, jovial pine.

She remembered playing in the dark recesses of the building, spending hours discovering its secrets. Her parents would yell when they caught her but she never stopped. Not once. The powerful mechanisms inside the mill had been disconnected from the sails, forever preventing it from grinding any corn. The building had been torn from its purpose, ensured to be a decorative piece on a rich man's land, a monument to show off.

It was a clear, bright day when she finally realized how sad the most beautiful things were. The mighty structure towered over the lands around it but could not serve the one purpose it was meant for. It existed outside of its nature, a plaything of man.

Perhaps Kayaba Akihiko wanted to remind humanity of their role in this world. Perhaps he wanted people to see there was so much more to life than the next rent payment, the next party at the local bar, the next chance of escape in a video game. Here, in «Sword Art Online», the ultimate escapist fantasy, they were trapped. Nobody even knew why.

Sierra turned back to the farmhouse again, her eyes wandering over to Hikari. The day they met felt so far away. It had been in the early days of the game, the first month, when everything had seemed hopeless and futile. Hikari had saved her; for that there was a debt that could never be repaid. No matter what it took, no matter what Sierra had to do, she would get Hikari out.

Sierra flexed her hand, staring at it. There used to be a scar that ran along her arm, a burn mark from when she spilled hot oil on herself as a child. It had stretched from her hand up to her elbow, jagged edges contrasting against pale skin. It had been a part of her, a single facet of her identity, but the NerveGear could not detect scars.

Outside of Hikari's small group, she knew there were more people in the backyard playing games and drinking. Of the twenty-one people there, she could only really talk to a couple. Sierra smirked at that. She was a founding member and yet she felt detached from most.

"Hey." Pollux tapped her on her shoulder. "Try not to look so serious, girl. Remember, we're at a New Year's party. You're supposed to have fun."

"This is my 'I'm having fun' face."

"Looks more like your 'Kill me now' face." Pollux grinned. "I suppose the two come hand-in-hand for you, eh? Why aren't you hanging out with the others like Hikari is? Don't be like Castor; he's just being sentimental."

"I'm not one for parties. That's more Hikari's thing." Sierra stared at the windmill in the distance. "I suppose if I'm around large groups of people in the game, I can't help but wonder who everyone was before the game began. What would I be doing right now if I never got trapped?"

"I get what you really mean. You want to know if you would have ever met Hikari." Pollux's perverted grin seemed like a farce, a mask she couldn't quite read. Not sorrow but not happiness. A curious mixture of the two she couldn't explain but could easily feel. "Truthfully, «Sword Art Online» has given me a chance to live again, you know. A chance to enjoy my life, to wake up every day feeling like I have purpose."

"You've always been the optimistic type."

"Yeah." Pollux looked over at his brother, Castor, who was still staring at the sunset, contemplating beauty. "You mind if I get all personal with you?"

"Go for it, dude."

"In the real life," Pollux took a deep breath, preparing himself. "I'm paraplegic. Car accident about five years ago. Castor was there. He was driving the car when we got hit. I don't think he's ever forgiven himself for what happened. Before then, I'd say his personality was a bit closer to mine."

"Shit, boss, I… I didn't know." Sierra looked up at him. The doofus she'd known for so long was still standing in front of her, but he wore an expression she didn't know he was capable of.

"Don't worry about it." Pollux shrugged. "I think you can understand why I was drawn to «Sword Art Online». I remember the first day so clearly. The day I walked again. When Kayaba announced that we would be trapped, Castor… well, he fell apart, but I was ecstatic."

"Ecstatic?"

"This is my reality now, Sierra." Pollux shook his head. "If I die, I die. I've come to accept that. In fact, I prefer it that way. Despite how bad it sounds, I earnestly hope I can live out the rest of my days in this wonderful and terrible place, free or not."

"You're a weird one, boss." Sierra beamed at him.

"Perhaps I am." Pollux shrugged. "But at least let me say this. Even in the midst of this virtual world, where everything is real and nothing is real, I find myself turning back to something I heard a long, long time ago. I heard that the Buddha said it, but I'm pretty sure that's nonsense."

"And what's that?"

"When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky."

"Oy! Sierra! Pollux!" Danat was walking up the hill, a bundle of fireworks in his hands. "The show is gonna start soon! Get Hikari to come help! She's only one besides Jacob who can work those things!"

"Sure thing!" Sierra called back to him. "By the way, where'd the farmhouse owner…"

She stopped in mid-sentence. A katana thrust through Danat's shirt, the bloody mess of the blade protruding from where his heart should have been. Danat stared down at the shining red weapon, his face a mess of confusion.

"W-What?" Danat said.

Without another word, Danat shattered.

Somewhere behind her, Sierra heard someone scream and fall silent. Castor was on his feet to her left, drawing his weapon. Pollux was commanding someone to do something. She couldn't even begin to hear him.

A man in sunset-colored armor stood behind where Danat died, the virtual blood thick on his katana. The dying light wrapped him, posture stoic and firm like a reverent Vitruvian Man. There were empty black spaces where his eyes should have been, his skull mask hiding his face. Slowly, the warrior raised his katana, the blade reflecting orange light. Sierra felt cold fear grip her as she understood the sunset murderer's intent.

_You as well._

* * *

**David – Floor 35 – December 31, 2023 – 18:42**

David lowered his blade, stepping over the fireworks the dead man had been carrying. Behind him he could hear the rest of «Laughing Coffin» charging up the hill, turning their «Hiding» skills off. Some were shouting. Some were screaming. On the other side of the farm-house, a second team moved in to cut anybody off from fleeing, that team consisting mostly of those with undeveloped stealth skills.

Twenty of his guild mates ran around him and he could hear the remainder around the back of the house. Unfortunately, it looked like the majority of the «Eternal Brotherhood» was in the backyard. That might put the attackers at a disadvantage, though David held out hope that their element of surprise would suffice.

As a row of crossbowmen, led by XaXa, fired rounds at their victims, PoH screamed for the attack to begin. The girl with the emerald eyes stared at David for a long moment before drawing a longsword. Johnny Black closed in from the side as she charged, cutting her off and engaging her with his axe. To her right, two big men drew their weapons – the blonde with a greatsword and the other a greataxe – and shouted orders to the disorganized mess of people milling about in front of the farm-house. Few were armored. Even fewer knew what was happening.

Messes of orange and green and red as the men and women of «Laughing Coffin» became murderers, one by one. David looked up at the chaos beginning, the men and women materializing weapons too late. Armor donned too slowly. One attractive young man with a longbow had his throat slashed before he could get an arrow out, his skinny form collapsing into nothing as he died.

A crossbow bolt sprouted from the greatsword-fighter's shoulder. The big, bearded man stumbled backwards, swearing as one of the «Laughing Coffin» members charged into him, striking with a longsword.

"It's show time!" PoH ran past, laughing deep and proud. His «Mate Chopper» soared through the air, taking the arm off a nearby unarmored enemy. David cringed when he saw that, the shocked surprise of a doomed player. PoH's «Mate Chopper» was a short, broad cleaver, capable of delivering powerful yet fast attacks. Another slash cut through the man's throat and he shattered. PoH charged through the baby blue polygons, not resting on his swift victory.

The two large men had been pushed back towards the farmhouse, one of them trying and failing to open the farmhouse door. As PoH had promised, the owner of the building had locked everyone outside. Around the back of the house, he saw someone shatter as the second team moved in.

_Eighteen left? _David thought, rushing up the hill towards the big men. The emerald-eyed swordswoman was still fighting off Johnny Black, managing to push the man back considerably. She was good, but David knew she'd be overwhelmed soon if a second member of «Laughing Coffin» moved in.

Many of the players had the good sense to retreat, their only path being around the farmhouse to the backyard. There, the rest of «Laughing Coffin» made another push, catching the entire guild in a massive pincer strike.

"Hikari!" The emerald swordswoman shouted. David's gaze shot towards her, still locked in combat with Johnny Black. Towards his left, a brown-haired woman with a massive axe charged him, shouting. Behind her, the fenced-off farmland swayed as if glorying in the bloody battle.

David sidestepped her first attack – it was too slow, too heavy. She thrust the axe back up, forcing David back a step before he could press in to take her out. Even though she threw the weight of her weapon into a side-swipe, David danced around the axe easily.

"You're too slow." He grinned, slashing his katana along her fingers. A few flew into the air, the greataxe dipping suddenly as the woman shrieked in surprise. David darted in, katana at the ready. The woman maintained the presence of mind to back away, but the greataxe hung loose at her side. With only one good hand, she couldn't hope to counterattack him.

There, the panic in her eyes, the rush of breath. She'd realized it too.

"Hikari! Run!" The emerald swordswoman's voice raised into a shrill shriek. She parried another strike from Johnny Black, kicking the man back a few steps. Another futile attempt to break from the man fighting her, but Johnny Black got around, forcing her towards the farm-house.

"It's over." David said, gripping his weapon.

The girl, Hikari, pivoted to run, but David was already upon her. Realizing she couldn't make it, the woman turned back to him, struggling to swing her greataxe with one hand. David ducked under the high swing, his katana cutting below her clumsy strike, taking her hand off at the wrist. A yellow «Limb Penalty» warning appeared over the severed limb. The girl looked at her hands in horror as David readied his katana.

"It's all over." David whispered.

* * *

**Sierra – Floor 35 – December 31, 2023 – 18:47**

"Hikari!" Sierra slashed at the man with the axe, her blade sliding along the handle. Her assailant backed away just before the longsword took off a few fingers. Seeing her chance, Sierra darted to the side. The sunset fighter had his katana raised in the air above Hikari's head, ready to strike.

On her knees, Hikari stared up at the man, her arms out to the side in a posture of deference. Her greataxe lay uselessly nearby, both of her mangled hands unable to use them. Brown curls fell over her face, her mouth agape with shock. Sierra dug her heels into the ground with every step, running faster than she thought possible.

Sierra barreled into the sunset swordsman's side, knocking him off balancing and throwing him away from Hikari. She straightened herself, longsword held in front. Shouts of terror and pain from around the back of the farmhouse told her they were surrounded. To her side, she saw another guild member shatter but she wasn't fast enough to see who it was.

The man maintained his footing as he circled about. His skull mask was empty of emotion, devoid of any sympathy. Dark circles under an imposing bone brow, the high cheeks of a laughing madman even when at rest. The grin of the skull inhuman and wicked, the brown cloth meshing into the rest of his armor.

"We need to get out of here." Sierra said, pushing Hikari behind her. With the fence behind them and the rest of their assailants fighting in a rough semi-circle around them, it wouldn't be easy.

"But the others-" Hikari began. Another guildmate shattered near the farmhouse. Castor and Pollux held out against the assault of the man with the cleaver, their backs against the wall. They were running out of space to use their weapons.

Her assailant, the man in the red leather, was the only one focused entirely on Sierra and Hikari, but even if they made a break for the town they'd have to wade through several groups of people fighting. With every second, more of her guildmates died.

"We have to save ourselves." Sierra grabbed Hikari's wrist. "Let's go!"

She took off towards the farmlands, towards the mill she'd seen in the distance. Her attacker gave chase, but they hadn't gone ten feet before a crossbow bolt dug into her thigh. Sierra faltered, falling over heavily. Hikari stumbled after her but maintained her balance.

"You look like you're having trouble, friend." Another man, adorned in a skull mask like the rest of their attackers, walked up to the sunset swordsman, a crossbow in hand. His eyes shone red behind the mask, filtering through black cloth. He cranked the string back, loading another bolt and leveling it at Hikari. "Let me help you out."

The bolt thudded into Hikari's shoulder. She shrieked and felt backwards; Sierra saw Hikari's health dip into the red in the corner of her vision. The rest of her party's status halted her movements – Castor was still green, but Pollux was yellow. Danat was gone.

"You fucking bastards!" Sierra charged before the red-eyed man could load another bolt. The man with the katana stepped into her path, parrying her longsword with ease. He was faster than her; she realized that just as his katana switched directions suddenly, coming in from the side instead. Sierra jumped back, narrowly avoiding the blade.

"SIERRA!" She whipped her head around. Castor barreled down from the farmhouse, rage and fear and pain playing out in his enraged expression. His greatsword slashed through the shoulder of a nearby skull-mask, shearing the man in two.

Without breaking stride, Castor stabbed upwards at another assailant, running him through. The man gasped, virtual blood running down the blade as he shattered. Pollux hung back, holding off the man with the cleaver. With his health lowering every moment, it was only a matter of time before Pollux fell. More enemies charged in from around the side of the house. The rest of the guild had fallen.

"Take him out, XaXa!" The sunset swordsman shouted, turning back to Sierra. His katana slashed at her, but she parried it. Their blades locked together; she could smell her attacker's anger, his fear. The skull masks were winning, but that didn't guarantee they'd all live. Sierra had to make her last moments count.

"Aniki!" A shout from the farmhouse. A crossbow bolt sprouted from Castor's shoulder, the first one still embedded in him. The red-eyed man stumbled backwards as Castor charged in, greatsword at the ready. A quick strike tore an arm from XaXa's body, throwing him to the side.

Castor bee-lined for the sunset swordsman. The man jumped away from Sierra, recognizing the danger in getting caught on both sides. He raised his katana just as Castor's greatsword slammed down. The clang reverberated throughout the clearing and the skull-masked man was pushed back several feet.

"Run!" Castor shouted, gesturing for the town. "Get the hell out of here!"

Sierra glanced over the battlefield. Aside from Pollux and Castor, there were only a handful of her guildmates left. Castor slammed his greatsword into the sunset swordsman's weapon again, pushing him back.

"Go!" Castor bellowed, and Sierra nodded.

Hikari screamed with protest as Sierra grabbed her wrist, rushing past her now-busy assailants swordsman and off into the farmland, the only ones to escape the skull-masks' net.

* * *

**David – Floor 35 – December 31, 2023 – 18:52**

"God damn it." David slacked his weapon for a moment, staring at the two women running towards the stock mill between the farmhouse and Mishe.

"Fucker!" The big man with the greatsword circled around him, putting himself between the fleeing woman and David.

David stepped in, parrying a swing from the big man. They're swords clashed and the weight behind his opponent's weapon was immense, dragging him back with every swing. David grunted with the effort of parrying another strike.

The big man was strong like the girl was, but he was also fast. Each swing came right after the previous one, forcing him away with every step. He couldn't dodge around the strikes to counterattack, let alone land a critical hit.

To his left, XaXa was getting to his feet, struggling to load his crossbow with just one hand. The big man saw it and bolted towards the crossbowman, greatsword held high. David darted after him, his «Acrobatics» skill putting him ahead by just a moment. He dove under the blade, catching a strike that would have ended XaXa's life.

"You saved him?" The man's surprise was evident. He backed away several steps.

"Aniki!" The man's twin, who was still backed against the farmhouse, shouted but could not get away from PoH. The leader of «Laughing Coffin» slashed at him relentlessly, laughing and shouting as his cleaver came in quickly and heavily. His opponent brought his greataxe down in a powerful blow, but PoH circled around the strike. His dagger slashed across the man's arm, forcing him to drop his weapon, leaving the black-haired giant wide open.

"Watch out!" David's opponent shouted, shifting his weight towards his brother's fight.

Seeing his chance, David rushed in under his greatsword. The man reacted, but not in time. David's katana sliced through his bare wrists, severing them, then again through his torso. Unarmored and undefended, the katana bit through the man easily, driving deep into his stomach. The man gasped and stumbled backwards. David tackled the now weapon-less man, straddling him as they hit the ground. His katana flashed upwards, held over the big man's throat.

"You're a monster." The man said. David paused. The man's greatsword lay uselessly at his side. With no hands, the big man had lost the fight.

"ANIKI!" Pollux shouted. PoH had danced away, not taking the killing strike when he could have. Even so, he held the greataxe-wielder back with just a dagger.

"You're going to kill those two girls, aren't you?" The man below him breathed out, resigned and weak. His body was trembling with fear, his limp and useless hands outstretched around them. Even if the man could have rocked David off of him, without any way to defend himself he was as good as dead. It was the end of the line.

"Yeah." David replied. His opponent closed his eyes, blinking away tears.

"Kill me quick, then. Get it over with."

David lowered his katana to the man's throat. He laid the point of his blade under the man's chin, both hands held tight over the handle of his weapon. The blood from killing the other man still hadn't disappeared.

"Any last words?" David asked, hesitating.

"No." The man glared at him. "Just fucking do it."

David nodded, driving the blade upwards into his skull. A red «Critical Hit» warning appeared over the wound and the big man shattered. David stood slowly, ignoring the cries of the man's twin, Pollux, as he struggled to get past PoH. The rest of the guild had thrown down their weapons, surrendering to «Laughing Coffin».

He stared in the direction the two girls had taken off towards. He could still see them, running towards the smock mill and Mishe. He took off sprinting, his katana gripped tight in one hand.

* * *

**Sierra – Floor 35 – December 31, 2023 – 19:03**

"Oh my." The young NPC woman stood outside the doorway to her house, staring at Sierra and Hikari intently. "You two, are you hurt?"

Sierra stared at the top right of her vision, the notification above her health bar displaying that she'd been poisoned. It was late-acting, only affecting her after they'd begun running away. The crossbow bolt stuck out of her thigh, locked fast as it dug into her muscle. She leaned heavily against Hikari, who still hadn't recovered from her «Limb Penalty» on both wrists.

"We're not going to make it to Mishe." Hikari adjusted Sierra's weight against her as they both stumbled towards the farmhouse. "You can barely walk now."

"You can still run." Sierra coughed out. The poison was painful, a sensation she hadn't felt for a long, long time. "Mishe is only about a mile away. You can make it."

"Do you two need help?" The NPC woman ran towards them, gently laying a hand on Sierra's forehead. "You've got a fever. Get her inside."

"I…" Sierra started, but Hikari rushed her forward towards the open inn door. Inside, two young kids stared up at them, eyes wide with wonderment. A farmer, their father, rushed over to Sierra and took her weight from Hikari.

It would be several hours until Hikari's hands returned. Until then Hikari would be useless in combat. The farmer shut the door behind them and closed the curtains. One of the kids ran to the window, opening it slightly to peek outside, and the farmer cursed at him to get back.

"You two come from the trouble at Kaoru's farm?" The farmer asked, helping Sierra into a chair. The wife hurried into their pantry, looking for some herbs. "The rest of us have been feeling that something was up for a while now. I just couldn't trust that man."

"Kaoru?" Sierra mumbled, her vision hazy. She lay her head on the table and Hikari sat next to her, laying a hand protectively on her shoulder. "That's the owner of the farm we had our New Year's Party at."

"He moved in a few weeks back. Been a damn sight of trouble since then." The farmer shook his head. "A group of his friends rented out my mill for the day too. Looks like they're causing trouble up at Kaoru's farm now. Can't quite see what it is from here, but it looks like I don't want to know."

The farmer's wife walked over, a mortar filled with a green paste in her hand. Her light cream-colored dress shifted as she moved through the house.

"It's my grandma's recipe, this ointment." The woman smiled at her, but that couldn't mask her worry. She was designed to be young and pretty, Sierra could tell, but the complexity of her worry astounded her. Wasn't this just a bit-part NPC? "Told me herself that it would take out any poisons just like that. It's the stuff of miracles."

"Ow." Sierra complained. The farmer's wife dabbed some ointment on her crossbow wound. Unlike the cold sensation players got from injuries, this actually hurt! She saw her health replenish slightly, the poison signal fading out. She felt strength return to her limbs, her dizziness and tiredness starting to disappear.

"We should head to town." Hikari said, getting to her feet. "If we leave now, we might-"

Hikari flinched, interrupted by a heavy banging on the door. Three knocks; a death knell. It reverberated through the small farmhouse, low and powerful. Instantly, the farmer's wife bolted to her feet, grabbing the two players and ushering them towards the herb cabinet.

"In here!" The NPC hurried them inside. It was spacious enough for the two of them, even though it was cramped. "Let us handle your pursuer."

The young woman shut the door behind her, leaving Hikari and Sierra huddled together in the dark. She could see in the top left of her vision that both of them had low HP, though Hikari was worse off. Her health was nearly gone. Couple that with her loss of her hands and she was completely vulnerable. Sierra slowly drew her longsword, holding it at the ready.

Castor had disappeared off her list of party members, just like Danat had. Pollux was still there, but his health was in the red. Sierra gripped her longsword tight, biting back tears. There'd be time to cry later.

"Eh? What do you want, son?" She heard the farmer's voice as she pressed her ear against the wooden door. "It's too late for visitors."

"Bring out the two girls." A low, soft sound. The sunset swordsman; she recognized his voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about." The NPC farmer said, a panicked inflection in his voice. Sierra thought she heard one of the children whimper. "Look, son, the sun's already set and I have to get up early to care of my animals, so…"

He stopped suddenly, an empty silence filling the farmhouse. A moment later, the wife began to scream, shouting something incomprehensible. Sierra slammed the door open, her longsword at the ready. She stumbled slightly over her feet, still not yet recovered from the poison.

The sunset swordsman stood in the doorway, his skull mask pulled off to reveal sharp European features. Blue eyes stared back at her, a splatter of the farmer's blood across his face. The farmer leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down and leaving a trail of red along the wood. He clutched a pulsing well of blood over his heart, whispering something inaudible. The wife knelt next to him, her mouth agape with horror. Near the window, the two kids were cowering and whimpering, tears streaming down their faces.

"There you are." He said, his face and voice empty of emotion.

Without another word, he charged, driving his longsword up over his head. Sierra parried, her arms like lead from the aftereffects of the poison. In the cramped space, both of their weapons were clumsy. Sierra stepped forward, throwing the man away for just a moment.

He attacked again, feinting to the left. Sierra skirted away from his blade, running around the dining room table to keep away from him.

With a start, she realized she'd put him between herself and Hikari. Just as swordsman noticed, Sierra kicked the dining room table up and over, her high «STR» stat flipping it. With a red «Destructible Object» warning, it slammed into the swordsman's back. He fell forward onto the ground, the table resting on his back.

She kicked him as he straightened out, groaning with the impact. As he stood, a right hook to the cheek forced him away from Hikari and towards the farmers. His movements rushed and panicked, the sunset swordsman grabbed the farmer's wife by her hair, dragging her to her feet with a scream. The farmer reached out for her weakly, but he'd lost too much blood to move.

"Surrender or I'll kill her." The swordsman said, pressing his katana against her neck.

"What?" Sierra stopped short, confused. "That's just an NPC!"

Shock and surprise moved over the swordsman's face, as if he didn't understand he was just holding a program in his hands. With a snarl, he launched the woman forward towards Sierra, throwing her bodily into the player.

The farmer's wife slammed into her. Sierra couldn't move her sword out of the way quickly enough; her longsword impaled the woman through her abdomen. The young woman coughed up blood – real, viscous blood, not like the virtual, bright red water from players – and collapsed in Sierra's arms.

The children screamed, the farmer shouted, but Sierra hardly noticed it. She struggled to free her weapon as the swordsman closed in, but could not get a grip on it for all the blood. Her hands slipped and slipped again.

"Sierra!" She heard Hikari scream to the side.

Mere feet away, the swordsman leaped, driving his katana deep into Sierra's neck. She stumbled backwards bodily, dragging both him and the farmer's wife down to the ground. Her HP raced into the red, the numb cold feeling spreading through her whole body. The swordsman ripped his blade out as they fell, raising it into the air again.

Sierra locked eyes with the farmer's wife as the two pressed together on the ground. Her eyes were wide and uncomprehending, her expression a hopeless confusion. Sierra turned her head towards Hikari just as the katana came down. Someone was whimpering in the background.

The katana pierced her skull as Hikari screamed uselessly in the background. Sierra watched as her health dropped to zero, a strange calm coming over her. Hikari ran to the sunset swordsman, her mutilated hands waving about without effect. The man backhanded her, slamming the young girl into the wall.

Sierra opened her mouth to speak, to apologize for her failure, but her body disintegrated before she could make a sound. All around her went black; her body dropped out of existence completely. Nothingness surrounded her.

Somewhere far in the distance her NerveGear began to whine.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Akira – Floor 35 – December 31, 2023 – 19:15**

He sat on the rocking chair on the farmhouse's patio, watching David's distant black shape grow closer and closer. The young man was hanging his head, his katana dragging against the ground behind him. When he finally began to ascend the hill to the farmhouse, Akira could see blood splattered over his face. His skull mask was bundled up in the grip of one hand. Akira drew his legs up to his chin, wrapping his arms around them.

"The hero returns!" PoH called out as David drew near. The leader of «Laughing Coffin» held his arms outstretched, his «Mate Chopper» dangling loose from one hand. "You're just in time."

David nodded dumbly as PoH giddily invited him to check out the prisoners. Akira had been part of the rear assault, emerging out of the small forest behind the farmhouse to cut off the «Eternal Brotherhood» from escaping. Though he hadn't seen PoH fight during the slaughter, he was already hearing the rumors. He was extremely talented with his dagger, capable of fighting off a skilled man with a greataxe despite the severe disadvantage of lacking reach.

A groan of displeasure to his left drew his attention towards Kaoru. The survivors from the attack on the «Eternal Brotherhood» were all tied up together, sitting on the ground in front of the farm owner. All of them were bruised and bloodied, their expressions tight and downcast. One man was mumbling to himself as he rocked his body slowly back and forth.

The big man who was using a greataxe was there, his eyes directed firmly at the ground. His face was wide with fury, the veins in his neck sticking out viciously. Most of the rest cowered in the presence of the «Laughing Coffin» members. A few of the less scrupulous members were poking at the prisoners, calling them names or insulting them. Most kept their distance, unsure what to do with the captured men.

Akira opened his inventory, materializing a teleport crystal. Funny how useless the things were. They were expensive, had a high weight value and could not be used during combat or when a player was suffering from a status effect. It was like Kayaba designed the item specifically to mock the players.

"So both of the escaped girls are dead?" Akira turned back to PoH, who had slung an arm around David's shoulder as he lead the younger man towards the rest of the guild. That slight action irked Akira, prompting an annoyed flush. Why would PoH pay so much attention to David?

"Yeah."

The two passed by Akira without another word; PoH didn't even acknowledge Akira. Maybe it was justified; it wasn't like Akira had done much in the fight with the «Eternal Brotherhood». He'd helped kill a couple people by stabbing them in the back when they were busy fending off other «Laughing Coffin» members, but that was it.

Akira looked over the group of people gathered around the farmhouse. It was the entirety of «Laughing Coffin». Their first mission was a complete success, though you wouldn't know it by looking at them. Very few were celebrating. Most wandered about with dark expressions and uncertain gaits. The Tank spoke quietly with a small man Akira didn't recognize. Muscles and Sophie stood together, not speaking, both staring off into the distance.

The sun had set, leaving fast-darkening farmland in place of the previously vivid red. David separated from PoH, dematerializing his katana and laying down on the green grass. Akira opened his menu, scrolling to the «Options» screen. He flipped «Cursor Mode» from «Off» to «On» and, sure enough, he could not find a single player nearby who wasn't orange.

The only exceptions, of course, were the prisoners.

"Why did you do it?" The big man was still struggling with his bonds, glaring up at PoH. "Why did you attack us? We've done nothing to you!"

"Pollux is the name, right?" PoH squatted in front of the big man. "You took quite a bit of convincing before we could tie you up. Almost killed you, which would have been _such _a shame."

"You should have fucking killed me!" Pollux shouted up at PoH, saliva spraying from his mouth. "When I wrap my hands around your throat and twist the fucking life out of you, you'll be wishing you killed me when you could!"

"Terrifying." PoH smirked, standing and turning back to the rest of «Laughing Coffin». "I'm assuming you're all wondering what's going to happen now. Now that the «Eternal Brotherhood» has been broken, where do we go from here? Some of you may be asking _why_ we did all this." PoH kicked Pollux's knee lightly. "Just like this guy.

"To put it plainly, we are getting the word out. A new order is on the rise. A new era for the players of «Sword Art Online». A new paradigm to bring down Heathcliff and the dictatorship of the clearers." PoH pointed at the prisoners. "And these men are the start. First things first, we are not going to kill all of them." An instant murmur from the crowd gathering around him. Even Akira felt taken aback. If they didn't kill all of the prisoners, the members of «Laughing Coffin» would become «Wanted»! "The point of slaughtering these people was visibility. If we kill everyone, they're deaths become just a mysterious and suspicious circumstance. If we let one live, then they get to tell the world the truth. The question that arises is, of course…"

Akira already knew what PoH was going to say.

"…who will be the lucky survivor?"

Murmurs through the crowd of Akira's guildmates. Most were confused whisperings, complaints about having to go orange for a while. Akira wasn't sure exactly how long it took for a murder bounty to wear off, but it was at least a month. A whole month of living outside of towns? Of not having an inn to return to? Sounded like hell.

Akira scanned the members of «Laughing Coffin» and looked for the troubled faces in the crowd. There were a few who couldn't stand to look at PoH. They were the same who hung back during the slaughter, resisting the idea of killing the «Eternal Brotherhood». Eventually PoH would find out who had hesitated.

"Why don't we have them all fight each other?" XaXa, David's friend, spoke up and gestured at the five men tied up together. "Like in a tournament. The last one standing can go free!"

"Idiot!" Johnny Black punched him in the shoulder, a scowl on his rough, scarred face. "You want to give their weapons back? The first thing they're gonna do is attack us!"

"They'd be idiots to try." XaXa grumbled back, his soft voice barely audible to Akira from here. "We've got like thirty people here. If we give them some crap weapons, there's no way they could hurt us if they decided to attack."

Akira raised an eyebrow at that logic. With Kayaba Akihiko's vision of PvP, any weapon could kill any player in combat. Even a weak longsword was dangerous.

"I like it," PoH said, "Anyone have any low-level swords? We'll have them do it without armor, of course. That'll make everything a bit more interesting."

"You should listen to your idiot friends," Pollux spoke up, his voice cracking, "You give me a sword and the first thing I'm going to do is slit your fucking throat."

"Don't be like that," PoH smiled, leaning down next to Pollux again, "You would honor your brother's death by dying?" He grabbed Pollux's chin. "You win this mini battle royal and you can come find me later, you know? You'd get another chance to kill me."

Pollux growled but said nothing. The rest of the prisoners were silent and avoided looking at one another. PoH's sense of irony had not passed Akira by. He could see what the «Eternal Brotherhood» had been reduced to. There was a point to be made, a method behind his cruelty, in showing there wasn't a single man among the prisoners not willing to kill a friend to stay alive.

PoH walked over to one of the five prisoners, a small man who flinched away from him, terrified. Akira's boss materialized an unornamented longsword, cutting the prisoner's bond and handing him the weapon.

He walked around to the rest of the prisoners, freeing them and giving them simple, weak weapons. At PoH's order, the «Laughing Coffin» members formed a rough semicircle around them to keep them contained between themselves and the farmhouse. As they received their weapons, the last few remainders of «The Eternal Brotherhood» gave panicked looks to their neighbors and jumped away from one another in anticipation of the fight. Pollux was last; he resisted as he was dragged to his feet. The big man struggled against the «Laughing Coffin» members holding him.

"Now, now." PoH brought out a longsword, holding it out for Pollux. "Don't you want to live?"

"I'm not going to murder my friends." Pollux spat. The rest of the survivors stared uncertainly at each other. Akira knew what was going through their heads, their plight bringing a smile to his face. Now this was power! Which man was the weakest? Who would break first by attacking his friends for the vague hope of survival? Which would hold fast to their ideals?

"Unhand me!" Pollux tore away from the «Laughing Coffin» members holding him and fell into the makeshift arena. Some of Akira's guildmates jeered and laughed, poking at the survivors with their weapons and shouting epithets. However, most of «Laughing Coffin» stared in silence, neither cheering nor jeering.

For a long while, the five prisoners stared at each other. Their weapons were gripped tight in their hands as their eyes flicked nervously back and forth. Pollux, longsword in hand, followed PoH's movements, looking for an opening amongst the group of better-equipped «Laughing Coffin» members. Many of Akira's fellow guild mates had drawn weapons of their own in case a prisoner turned suicidal.

Akira recalled David's lessons on how to PvP. Any weapon could kill. Level and quality of equipment had a large effect in combat against monsters. Low-level monsters are utterly unable to kill high-level players and low-level players could never kill high-level monsters. In contrast to that, Kayaba Akihiko had specifically designed player against player combat to be made on equal grounds. Any weapon can harm anybody given the person knew how to use it right. Attacks on a person's head, heart, neck, or any other sensitive area could potentially be a killing stroke even after just one hit.

Just one more level of realism to make people regret ever picking up a NerveGear.

"Come on, guys," Pollux was talking to the rest of his guild mates, "Jacob, Lancet, Kill-Joy, Erebus. We don't have to do this. We don't have to play their game. We don't have to fight each other."

"For fuck's sake!" Johny Black shouted from the sidelines, "Don't listen to that queer! Just kill each other already!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Akira saw David storm off. XaXa followed in a fit of concern. Akira watched as his mentor and enemy turned the corner, heading to the backyard. Akira briefly considered trailing the man, but decided against it as the first two survivors clashed swords.

"No!" Pollux shouted, but another one of the prisoners whipped towards the big man, his expression a mask of fear and pain. Behind those them, two other survivors fought viciously; one was crying while the other was silent.

"We don't have a choice! I've got a wife to go back to!" The man shouted, charging Pollux. He hesitated before swinging, opening himself wide enough for Pollux to have easily sheared through him with a single strike. The big man didn't take the chance, merely parrying the clumsy attack and stepping away.

"Jacob, please!" Pollux's voice bordered on terror – not from the other survivor's attacks, but from the horror of the situation. Jacob's cursor went orange.

In the other fight, the last survivor joined the crying man in ganging up on his opponent, killing him quickly as their cursors turned orange. Pollux shouted the man's name as the two then turned on each other. Jacob circled around Pollux, stabbing occasionally to look for a break in Pollux's defense.

"I'm getting out of here alive!" Jacob squealed, slashing heavily overhead. Pollux deflected it, letting the blade slide down and kicking Jacob in the side. The smaller man was flung into the arms of a nearby «Laughing Coffin» member, who punted the man back into the semicircle.

Just as he'd gotten to his feet again, a blade erupted through Jacob's chest and virtual blood sprayed out from the grievous injury. Jacob stared down at the weapon, his face slack and confused. Akira reeled, laughing at the spectacle. He'd been so focused on Pollux's fight that he'd failed to notice the conclusion of the other one! The crying man had lost.

Three down. Two to go.

"Lancet, you…" Pollux breathed out. "No…"

"I'm not one for dicking around, boss." Lancet shook his blade, spraying the grass with a light spread of virtual blood. Akira took a good look at him – not too large of a man, but not small either. A mess of curly red hair flopped over a pale face that looked too serious to match up with an otherwise light-hearted appearance. A joker when not a murderer, perhaps?

"No, I wouldn't expect you to."

"For what it's worth, I don't particularly want this." Lancet and Pollux circled around each other, longswords held at the ready as they carefully awaited the other man's attack. The spectators of the fight were all silent, awaiting the conclusion of their small battle royal. Akira couldn't tell if it was eagerness or horrified enthrallment that kept them all staring.

"You!" Pollux shouted at PoH, his eyes only flickering over the guild leader for an instant. "There's no way you'd let both myself and Lancet go? What's the big difference between two people leaving to spread word of your murderer's guild versus one?"

"There is none." PoH shrugged, hopping onto the fence and watching them all with a distant smile. "Rationally, I should be killing all of you. I am a reasonable man, but I have my flaws. And boy do I love to watch dead men dance."

Pollux didn't bother to respond. Lancet rushed in, stabbing at Pollux. The big man deflected it, parrying it to the side and stepping forward besides the blade. In a quick flash, his elbow slammed into Lancet's face. He stumbled backwards, one gloved hand gripped over his now-bleeding nose.

"Lancet, we don't have to play their game." Pollux said as they fell into a circle around each other. Lancet dashed in, only for Pollux to parry his strike. "There's always another way!"

"No," Lancet jumped backwards, distancing himself from his opponent, "There isn't."

The two rushed together, longswords in the air. Pollux slid to the side at the last second, feinting and dodging around Lancet's strike. Almost too quick for Akira to follow, he sliced upwards along Lancet's torso, opening him wide from navel to neck.

«Laughing Coffin» was silent as Lancet fell to his knees. It was a fatal blow. Pollux turned back to the dying man, his face white with horror. His cursor remained green as he had only attacked a mere orange player.

"Avenge the boss for me, Pollux."

Lancet breathed out his last a second before shattering. Pollux fell through the haze of released blue particles, his legs too weak to support him. Akira smiled grimly; it was a satisfying conclusion. He'd had his doubts the big man would be willing to bring down the hammer and do what was necessary, but he came through in the end.

"Looks like we've got a winner." PoH smiled, leaning down next to Pollux as several of Akira's guild members rushed over to disarm the prisoner. "Congratulations!"

* * *

**Argo – Floor 43 – January 1, 2024 – 15:43**

Argo was sitting in a restaurant and chatting with another information broker when the news broke. As soon as it hit, she forgot all about her conversation with the man, staring instead at the private message from Kirito. From all of the murmurs and whispers of frightened customers, she could make out bits and pieces of the news. They crowded around the «Public Service Board», a paid-for notification board posted on all floors to allow for the quick dissemination of information.

_'Did you see the notice, Argo? 20 people dead in the mass murder of an entire guild. The perpetrators are calling themselves «Laughing Coffin».'_

_ 'I heard the commotion a second ago. The perpetrators wore skull masks just like your assassin. Meet me at the fountain.'_

_ 'This is bad.'_

It was an understatement if Argo had ever heard one. She rose from the dark, lacquered table. Already the handsome young man had a sympathetic look on his face, though it was heavily laced with worry. A damn good actor, that one.

"I'm sorry, Lyle. We'll have to continue this later." She bowed slightly, her brown cape ruffling. The man looked up at her appreciatively, a quaint smile on his face.

"No, no. I understand. We'll need to catch up business some other time. Lind is already messaging for me to get back," Lyle stood as well, "I'll pay for the meal."

"Thank you," Argo said, rushing towards the door. She paused near the «Public Service Board», taking a quick glance towards the notification. It was difficult to press through the bodies of anxious and worried players, but being small-framed helped out a great deal with that. After more than a few unpleasant instances of shoving people out of the way, she emerged in front of the board.

A stark, white paper contrasted with the rest of the notices. Its plain design and heavy, black font distinguished itself from the rest of the hasty and unprofessional requests. It was a news bulletin put out by the «Publisher's Guild», one of the most significant parts of the merchantry of Starting City. News and information dissemination was usually handled by that guild; Argo's own «Strategy Guide» was put out by them, though she was behind on her new issue by a few weeks now.

She read the notice carefully, ignoring the jostle of people around her.

SPECIAL NEWS BULLETIN:

20 PLAYERS DEAD IN MYSTERIOUS PLAYER-KILLING RAMPAGE.

SKULL-MASK WEARING GUILD «LAUGHING COFFIN» RESPONSIBLE.

HEATHCLIFF HAS DECLINED TO COMMENT.

It went on to detail the name of the guild that had been destroyed – the «Eternal Brotherhood», whom Argo had worked with briefly on several occasions, though she wasn't close with any of them – and gave the brief account of the lone survivor, a man named Pollux. It then listed new names added to the «Bounty» registry in the past twenty-four hours.

It was useless information. There were several cases of stealing every day where people would get caught and go orange. The PK guild in question was described as consisting of about thirty people, but at least sixty other players were on the orange list. Sixty attempted robberies in a day was awfully high – was it arranged? Since their offenses weren't listed, it was impossible to distinguish a robber from a murderer.

Before this, player-killing guilds were unheard of. Homicides were a rare but expected thing. Argo scanned the article. It labelled the incident as the first instances of player-on-player murder, but that wasn't true at all. People had been getting killed by others since the very first day, just never at this magnitude.

There weren't any Bounty Hunter groups large enough that could take down thirty players. The biggest, the «Code of Hammurabi», only had around ten members. Not many people took well to the life of hunting orange players down and killing or jailing them.

With thirty members in all, there was no way any Bounty Hunters could hunt down the murderous guild before their «Wanted» status wore off in a month. Argo felt the weight of the realization settling in. Whoever «Laughing Coffin» were, they were going to get away with murder.

"This is bad." Argo cursed, worming her way back through the crowd. "This is really bad."

Outside, she could already see the notice spreading the seeds of panic amongst the players. Monster hunters had stopped in the streets, arguing whether it was safe to leave town or not. A merchant selling jewelry was hastily packing his wares, a nervous expression on his face. A young girl was crying into the chest of another player.

Even the NPCs seemed riled up, with an increased patrol of guards walking through the city streets. From Argo's experience, the only use guards had were to come to the rescue of players who pressed «Yes» on a harassment notice or to attack orange players who entered town. Player-made militias like the «Army» were generally more effective; even so, the sight of them was encouraging.

Odd that she found any facet of this death game encouraging.

"Excuse me, miss." Argo stopped short as she passed by a small wooden house, one of the many squat cookie-cutter wood and stone buildings that made up the town of Llyne. A young girl hung around the doorway. She was young, maybe 14 or 15, and wore a long brown dress. Her hair was shockingly blonde and hung down to her knees. Argo paused, contemplating just walking away. Was it a quest?

"What's up?" Argo finally said, walking over. Kirito would have to wait. She wasn't familiar with a quest that started this way and any new information was welcome. "You need something?"

"Seems more like you need something," The teenage girl grinned at her, the smile bright and wide, "What are you looking for?"

"What am I looking for?" Argo mimicked, taken aback. It was exceedingly rare for non-vendor NPCs to actively engage with players. Instead, quest-givers read from an internal script using synthesized dialogue. Was this not an NPC? She opened her menu, looking for the option to turn on «Cursor Mode» to check. As she thumbed through her menu, Argo smirked, feeling snarky as she replied. "Money, sex, and power maybe? Most people look for stuff like that."

"Are you most people?" The girl raised an eyebrow. Argo gripped her fist subconsciously. This was _really _odd for an NPC to respond to her directly – and she did it not once, but twice! Where the hell was her «Cursor Mode» option? The girl twiddled a cord of hair between her fingers absently, focused intently on Argo. Without even realizing it, the broker was shifting her weight from one foot to the other, a cold sweat starting to run down her back.

"What are you talking about?"

"What I mean to say is," The girl stepped towards Argo, her hips swinging very subtly under her plain brown dress. It was difficult to focus on anything else. Moments before she could hear people pass behind her, voices arguing in the background, but no longer. Suddenly she found that she couldn't quite remember what the house in front of her looked like. Instead, her gaze was dead-set on the girl's deep green eyes.

"What?" Argo mumbled, her hair standing on the back of her neck.

"Is that all you want?" The girl was inches away from her now, her face coming closer. She stopped when her lips brushed Argo's ear. Her soft, feminine voice glided lightly along every syllable. "Sex?"

"I don't-" Argo stopped, her mouth suddenly incapable of finishing the sentence. The girl played with Argo's hair, running her fingers through it slowly. She rested her hand of Argo's cheek, stroking the skin softly.

"That was quite the dream you had the night before last." She whispered. Argo could feel the girl grin, even though she couldn't see it. Her arms wouldn't move, her breath suddenly short and fast. "That boy, Kirito. He incites your passion. I could _feel _it. The things you'd like to do to him…" A short giggle. "Your father would be ashamed."

"How do you… know that?" Argo struggled out the words, each one more heavy and leaden than the last. "Who…?"

The blonde girl backed way, pressing her forehead against Argo's. She was so close and her presence filled Argo's perception. There was nothing else to focus on, no other sensation to feel. All there was were those big green eyes, that fey smile.

"Username: Argo. Acquisition obvious. Real name: Kana Akiko. Information found from debit card used to purchase «Sword Art Online» and verified through police report detailing your transportation to a hospital. Gender: Female. Obtained via NerveGear calibration. Age: 18. Information present in medical record." Argo felt herself going numb as the girl embraced her. Argo was looking over the girl's shoulder now, her gaze fixated on a single point at the corner of the doorway where wood met stone. "But I know more about you than mere data points. You blame your mother for walking out of your life. Your father is a poor but honorable man. At a party in high school, a girl drunkenly kissed you and for a while you doubted your sexuality. The name of your first goldfish-"

"How-" The girl pressed a finger to Argo's lips, ushering her into silence. Argo could feel sweat begin to pool under her leather cloak. Her hands were shaking even though she couldn't move them. Her heart was pounding, making it difficult to concentrate. A buzzing sound in her ear, drowning out everything but the young girl's voice. All she saw was that corner of the door. All she saw…

"Nemo, even though the species of fish was wrong. You wanted to be a software engineer but you never believed you were smart enough, so you switched your focus to business. You're self-conscious of the fact that you're flat-chested. When you were thirteen, you were arrested for shoplifting." The girl backed away from Argo, releasing her finger from Argo's lips. The girl's eyes were wide, the whites showing around her irises. "You almost died once."

"You…" Argo's voice trailed off, her head ringing heavily. She couldn't think, couldn't talk, couldn't breathe. The girl bowed in front of Argo, their eyes level. When did she fall to her knees?

"Tell me, Kana Akiko." The voice was so soft, so sweet. "Where is Heaven?"

Everything went black. A vague sensation of falling and nothingness.

It was a long while before she awoke; it could have been five minutes or five hours and she wouldn't have known. Kirito leaned over her, nudging her supine form lightly with his foot. His face was exceedingly nonchalant, not the slightest hint of worry. Argo groaned, sitting up carefully. Her head smarted, a sharp headache right behind her eyes.

"Too lazy to walk?" Kirito asked, tapping her again with his foot. Argo swatted him away. "You shouldn't be sleeping in the middle of a road. You might get Sleep-PKed."

"Shit, it's not like I meant to." Argo rubbed her head. "Help me up, Kii-bou."

"Why were you lying on the ground? And where have you been? I've been waiting for you for hours." He extended a hand and Argo accepted it, him pulling her to her feet. She brushed herself off and examined her surroundings. She was on the road outside the inn where she'd been staying at with Kirito: the «Titillated Tiger Tavern». Players walked about in a nervous haze and another of the nearby «Public Service Board» was swarmed with concerned people. The sun was starting to set.

"I… I can't remember." Argo struggled to recall what had happened before she'd fainted, but all she got was a bigger headache and a vague queasy feeling. She had left the bar she was at with Lyle after reading the «Publishing Guild» notice, but then…

"You ever gonna stop calling me Kii-bou?" Kirito asked, squinting as he looked up at the sky. It had been a clear day with not many clouds in the sky. The quaint cobbled roads of Llyne shone as they ran between the loosely-packed together buildings of the town. On any other day without the panic in the air, it would have been a perfect time to sit back and stare at nothing for a few hours.

"Nope. Never." Argo playfully punched his stomach even though she didn't feel particularly flirtatious. "So it looks like my investigation is about to get a lot bigger and a lot more dangerous. You have the «Death Registry»?"

"Yeah." Kirito materialized a few sheets of paper, handing them to Argo. "The guards were hassling me a bit about it when I requested them. Something about too many people wanting to look at the deaths lately. I think one NPC threatened to start demanding money in return for them."

"Really?" Argo replied absently, looking through the sheets. Several names from the «Eternal Brotherhood». Sierra, Castor, Danat. Argo felt herself flinch inwardly as she read the names. They hadn't been dear friends of hers, but she'd dealt with them on multiple occasions. Argo gripped the papers tight. "It's hard to believe people like those in «Laughing Coffin» exist. What could possibly drive them to murder all those people?"

"Visibility." Kirito shrugged. "It makes sense that their first target would be something big. Gets their name out. If you read the interview with Pollux as published in the news, he makes it clear that he was captured and then deliberately let go."

"Yeah, I read the interview. Most of it was Pollux demanding the clearers got together to wipe out this «Laughing Coffin». I highly doubt that Heathcliff would do that, considering the danger."

"I agree. The clearers are rather singularly focused."

"The players in the «Eternal Brotherhood» were almost as skilled as the clearing guilds." Argo shook her head, fighting to keep her voice stable. "For an orange guild to exist that could kill them…"

"They don't necessarily have to match the clearer's levels." Kirito started walking into the bar and Argo trailed after him. "PKing is dangerous in this game because of how the system handles combat. Kayaba Akihiko made PvE combat level-dependent, but PvP is entirely based around an individual's skills. Levels have nothing to do with it. That's why there are so many clearers that have real-world combat experience."

"Yeah, I know." Argo slid onto a bar stool, holding up two fingers for the tavern keeper to get beers for them both. "Kayaba probably designed it that way to prevent higher-level players from slaughtering the low-level ones. Every player is on equal footing regardless of equipment or level."

"Well, equipment matters to an extent." Kirito corrected her, "Better equipment does give you an advantage and you retain equipment bonuses in PvP."

"I know." Argo shook her head. "But just like in real life, anyone could potentially kill anyone."

The tavern keeper put two tankards down in front of them, the thick foam sloshing slightly over the sides of the wood. Behind them both Argo could hear several players getting drunk already. Monster hunters if she heard them properly. They'd cancelled their daily raid.

"Hey, I'm underaged," Kirito said as Argo took a long drag of her own tankard, "So are you! And isn't it a bit early to be drinking?"

"So? The NPCs don't care. You complain again and I'm going to start smoking too," Argo drank again, looking at the «Death Registry» with her free hand. Neat, orderly handwriting revealed the usernames and fates of the unfortunate players who died in the game. At first glance it didn't look much like anything. "Something's bugging me."

Her eyes ran down the list. Sierra. Killed by another player. The username wasn't listed, which meant that Pollux didn't know the murderer's username when he reported the crime. It was another facet of the game's inconsistent yet brutal realism. Unless the person reporting the crime directly knew the username of the murderer there was no way to know who killed who. A few names were present: a man by the name PoH killed several people. It didn't ring a bell. Her thoughts turned back to Sierra.

Argo recalled the beautiful young woman, the lover of Hikari. Sierra had cut an impressive figure. She had always exuded a quiet confidence that inspired and intimidated those around her. Her skills in the game had been well-known – she was a talented tournament PvPer, having won several bouts in one of the monthly duels hosted by the «Army».

Argo had admired the woman a great deal. The broker grit her teeth. Her last meeting with Sierra been at the café at the outskirts of Llyne and Argo hadn't said a word to her. Hikari had been a lucky woman.

But now Sierra was dead, along with most of her guild.

"Argo?" Kirito nursed his drink, obviously uncomfortable with the alcohol in front of him. The broker smirked at that. He was only a year younger than she was but she hadn't expected him to be so bashful about alcohol. She turned back to the «Death Registry». There was definitely something wrong.

"It's just… odd." Argo squinted, unsure what she was seeing. Behind her, the group of drunkards was getting even more rowdy, their loudness breaking her concentration. "The news bulletin said there were twenty casualties but the «Death Registry» was only updated with 19 names when «Laughing Coffin» was reported."

"19?" Kirito put down his tankard just before taking his first sip, his mouth open with surprise. "So there's another survivor."

"Exactly," Argo said, "And I think I know who it is."

* * *

**Hikari – Floor 35 – January 1, 2024 – 18:43**

Hikari fell into the doorway of the small house, her shoulder slamming into the wood heavily. She pressed a hand against her forehead, pulling it away and absently watched the glistening sweat now imprinted on her palm.

The sunset swordsman had refused to kill her.

She pulled herself off the door, stumbling away. She'd stopped crying hours before, instead switching to a profound sense of nothingness. Dead on her feet, unable to feel for hours now. Sierra was gone.

He had stabbed Sierra through the eye, killing her before Hikari could do anything to help. She remembered him standing, backhanding her into a wall before turning to observe the kids cowering in the corner.

The farmer's wife bled out on the floor. She was dead within minutes. The farmer had tried crawling over to her but died halfway there. The sunset swordsman looked down on them all, Hikari included, and just walked away.

"Why didn't you kill me too?" Hikari mumbled, falling against one of the buildings again.

She was nearing the edge of Mishe now, the southern border than lined along the edge of Aincrad. It was a popular spot for tourists as evidenced by how many restaurants and cafés were around. However, instead of people relaxing around patio tables and enjoying exotic drinks and cooking, they were gathered around a «Public Service Board». Those that weren't huddled in small groups and talked quietly and quickly. Hikari didn't pay them much mind.

Hikari climbed onto the viewing platform that ran over the edge of Aincrad. Below her the clouds stretched out into an infinite distance. She rubbed her forehead again. The night before was a haze; she'd wandered back into Mishe just as the celebrations for the New Year began. All night she stared up at the exploding fireworks, at the brilliant and jovial colors. With all the explosions nobody had heard her scream.

"If you're going to be a murderer," Hikari slumped against the safety railing, staring straight down. "Finish the job."

It was time Hikari finished it for him. She slid under the railing, dangling her feet over the edge of the platform. From the gentle slope of each floor she'd probably hit the first floor instead of falling off the castle. It was too bad. There was something romantic about falling forever into nothingness. She envied those willing to drag themselves to the first floor to end their lives properly.

Her hands had returned to her sometime in the night. She wrapped her fingers around the railing post to her right, holding her body close to the post. A few more moments and she'd let go. A few more moments and she'd…

"Hey! No!" Hikari heard the voice behind her. She couldn't let go in time before someone's arms snaked under her armpits, bodily dragging her away from the railing.

Hikari screeched, kicking and fighting as her assailant dragged her from the viewing platform. The person wouldn't relent, forcefully carrying Hikari away. Her leather shoes beat against the wood panel flooring, the loud thumping noise attracting a fair bit of attention. People crowded around; just as Hikari thought she was getting loose a second person grabbed her and sealed her fate.

They wouldn't let her die.

Just like the sunset swordsman.

"My god, you're a tough one!" The woman grabbing her threw her backwards onto the stone pavement. A moment later, her assailant plopped down on Hikari's stomach. A crowd of people surrounded them, their faces all made of concern and fear and uncertainty. Their fake sympathy was disgusting. Her rage built and she thrashed about, screaming as she tried to tear herself away from her captor. The woman didn't budge.

Hikari slumped backwards after a long moment, giving up. She'd have to try again later.

"Why the hell did you get in my way?" Hikari snapped, staring at the feet of someone nearby before glaring at her captor. "I was hoping to off myself in peace."

"Why wouldn't I stop someone from killing themself?" The young woman smiled back at Hikari, a light-hearted look of shock on her face. She was young, around Hikari's age. Japanese, with shoulder-length straight black hair.

"As soon as you get up, I'm gonna run for that railing," Hikari threatened, "You can't stop me."

"Guess I'm gonna be sitting here for a while, then." The woman stretched her arms above her head. "We're gonna get awfully familiar with each other after a few days of this, I assure you."

"You'll give up."

"Wanna bet?"

Hikari looked away from the woman. People were filing away now that the excitement was over. A few hanger-ons stuck around, asking the woman sitting on Hikari's stomach if she needed any help. Nobody would talk to Hikari, of course. To them, she was just a basket-case who wanted to kill herself.

Without Sierra, that's all she was.

They sat for a long while in silence, the girl on her stomach humming softly to pass the time. Hikari merely stared at the side of a nearby bakery. It was a stone building with moss growing through it. Each stone was weathered and cracked yet the building stood firm and tall. A well-worn sign displayed the logo of «Ye Olde Stereotypical Bakery» hung above a faded wood doorway. Hikari didn't laugh. Through a thick glass window she could see a few players inside waiting for their orders. One looked away from Hikari just as they locked eyes.

Many of the players were pretending not to look at her.

"You're really going to keep sitting on me?" Hikari asked. She shifted about awkwardly but couldn't dislodge the young woman. "How high is your «STR» that I can't even move you?"

"I'm a clearer. Well, technically." The girl put a finger on her lips, thinking. "Recently, I fell into some money. Since I've got the levels and the equipment, I've been toying with the idea of soloing on the frontlines for a while. Haven't got around to it yet."

"So you're not a clearer."

"Yes I am."

Hikari sighed. The weight of the woman pressing down onto her was seriously starting to hurt. Kayaba Akihiko may have made bloody combat painless but damn near everything else hurt like hell. She laid her head back on the ground.

Why didn't the swordsman kill her?

"If I promise not to kill myself now," Key word 'now', Hikari thought, "Will you get your fat ass off of me?"

"So rude!" The girl grinned. "But yes, I can agree to that. You promise?"

"Promise."

Immediately the weight was lifted. The girl brushed herself off before extending a hand towards HIkari. She refused it, standing on her own. That cheerful attitude the woman had adopted was fucking annoying.

"See ya." Hikari turned back towards the center of town. Once she ditched this woman…

"Hey! No!" The woman grabbed Hikari's arm, "I know what you're trying to do and it isn't going to work. You're stuck with me."

Hikari sighed again.

"Why do you even care?" Hikari snapped, "Who the hell are you?"

"Well, for starters, my name is Lyra." The woman smiled gently. "Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

* * *

**END OF ARC ONE**

* * *

**Author's Note: **And now we're at the end of the beginning! This concludes the first arc of my story. Now that we're done, I should mentioned that I based the main focus of this arc around a canon event. In the original novels, «Laughing Coffin» was catapulted to fame after killing a small guild in the field on December 31, 2023. In the original material, this event was just a brief one-liner. I believed it could be something more.

There were a few issues with the first arc that I'm well-aware of. The biggest would be the lack of action and general slow pacing. As it stands, I won't be making significant changes to the first arc from here on out besides general fixes and edits for consistency. This means the problem with the pacing won't be fixed. For future arcs, I will endeavor to stick to a faster, more action-packed style. I'm not doing that merely because of the criticism; I had already planned on ramping things up a bit from here on out. This introductory arc served the purpose of introducing the major players of my story and setting the tone for the rest of the fanfic.

The next chapter will be an 'Interlude' covering the backstory for Sierra and Hikari (by far the most popular choice of the three options I posted). This 'Interlude' will likely be ~10k words and will focus on the early days of the game. It will definitely take a longer time for me to write than my usual chapter, so don't expect a quick update.

For those of you wondering, Argo is going to be one of the biggest characters in this fanfic. Unfortunately, because I had to spend so much time developing characters I killed off in chapter 8, Argo was pushed to the side a bit in this first arc. I had originally planned for her to do more, but space constraints restricted me from doing that. Her and Kirito are the only canon characters that I have planned to feature in this fanfic as main characters. Others will appear as side-characters. One last thing about her: Kana Akiko is a shared name between me and several other fanfic authors (Agent 94, Festus Flare, and Mr. California). While my depiction of Argo may not line perfectly with theirs, the name is shared.

As always, please remember to review.

One last thing: You guys need to check out Eye of Fire's fanfic _A Lost Soul in a Strange Land_. That fanfic is wonderful and needs moar attention!


	11. Interlude

******Author's Note: **If you absolutely can't handle the length of this 17k word chapter, you can skip it. It's a flashback and not exactly necessary to understand the plot of future chapters (though it establishes some useful backstory). Additionally, I published a prologue alongside this, so be sure to check it out!

* * *

**Interlude – In Memoriam**

**Sierra – Floor 1 – November 30, 2022 – 8:43**

Wordlessly the line shuffled forward, their feet scuffing the ground as the mass of people moved. Some were bare, others adorned with beaten and torn shoes. They were walking trash and they all moved in staggered succession. Sierra could feel the muck that had accumulated on her hands and feet. She was one of them, these lost and tortured nobodies.

Of all the things Kayaba decided to stick in a virtual world, it would be grime. She struggled to remember her last bath.

"Greetings noble adventurer!" Spoke an animated voice from up ahead. An NPC clad in fancy purple and white clothes smiled and waved his arms, gesturing the next person in line forward.

Only a couple more people in front of her now. Sierra grabbed the edges of her frayed shirt, staring at the dark brick road. The shadow of the «Black Iron Palace» loomed over her in the morning light, dominating the entire central courtyard.

"Greetings noble adventurer!" Another jovial greeting. Sierra grit her teeth, moving forward a step as another person was called up for their turn.

She felt someone brush in front of her, knocking her back a step. A man in the same ragged clothes as she stepped into line in front of her. He snickered as he pushed Sierra backwards. She stumbled, but kept her footing.

"Um, I," Sierra started, mumbling the broken sentence half to herself. The man just turned away towards the bright-hearted NPC.

"Hey! Asshole!" The man behind Sierra shouted, jumping in front of her and grabbing the shirt of the man who cut in line. "The fuck is your problem!"

"The fuck you want?" The cutter sneered, "You gonna start crying like that little bitch?"

Sierra's hands rushed to her eyes, brushing away a tear. She hadn't even realized it. In front of her, the two men started to scuffle. The big man who had been behind Sierra threw a punch, smacking the cutter back a few steps. A right hook finished the job, knocking the man onto his back. There was no «Harassment Warning»; the NPC guards simply watched the fight with disinterested expressions.

"Get to the back and wait like everyone else, asshole," The big man said as he returned to the line. With an angry grimace, the cutter ran off.

"Th-th-thank you," Sierra stuttered, taking her place in line again. The big man stared back at her, his face contorted with annoyance and anger.

"I didn't do it for you."

Forty-five minutes after the daily quest giver took his morning post and two hours after Sierra got in line, she was finally called up to his stand. It was a dark and dreary wooden stall, not a permanent building by far. Two more NPC guards stood by the richly-robed man, their faces hidden by heavy metal visors. Two-meter long spears were gripped in their right hands, the butts of the mighty weapons digging into pavement. Sierra cringed at the sight of the weapons. She sold her «Starter Longsword» over a week ago to give her the extra money she needed for a room to sleep in. Her armor had been pawned soon after.

"Would you like to learn more about the war effort?" Sierra heard the NPC ask. The person ahead of her looked back at Sierra, his expression twisted.

"Yes," The man said, and walked off.

Sierra groaned as the NPC launched into a speech. Occasionally one of the other non-players would do this to purposefully hold up the line. Apparently it was amusing to some people to annoy everybody else by starting the NPC's explanation. There wasn't any way to cut the quest-giver off and the NPC wouldn't recognize that the player who asked was no longer around. Sierra stared at the NPC as he spoke.

"Illfang and his Kobold underlings have risen out of the dark abyss they call home and are threatening the whole land! Just last year, our noble hero «Xeronas the Unyielding» was killed in a brutal battle to save «Starting City» and we've been fighting them tooth-and-nail ever since!" At 'tooth-and-nail', the NPC threw a couple punches to accentuate the effect, "But keep heart! All of our town is singular in our determination to rid the land of Illfang and his vile spawn! Even «Princess Asteria», the «Moonlit Sword», is behind you! Our beautiful princess is fighting the demonic kobold army this very moment, her legendary katana illuminating the path forward for all of us back home!"

It went on like this for a long while. The length of the speech was absurd considering how many people had to line up every day to receive the quest. Nobody was willing to forsake their spot in line to chase after whoever activated the speech. Every day there were a couple of people who decided to start it.

"-which is why we must remain singular in our efforts! Because-"

Sierra spoke the last few lines with the NPC, "-here in «Starting City», everyone matters!" The speech came to an end and the NPC settled into his uncomfortably clownish smile. Sierra rolled her eyes. "Finally," she said.

"Greetings noble adventurer!" Sierra walked forward as she was called up to the robed NPC. The man's face was bright and cheerful, an artificially wide grin plastered on his face. He waved his arms, bowing deep for her. "I'm so glad someone has finally decided to take up my quest! I was beginning to lose all hope! Tell me, what's your name?"

Today, just like yesterday, the day before and every day for the last two weeks, Sierra gave her username, "Sierra."

"My, what a noble name for a noble soul!" The NPC laughed, throwing back his head, "Well, Sierra, would you like to do a quest in the name of all that's good and pure? You'll be awarded «10 Col»!"

"Sure," Sierra shrugged, mumbling the words. She could hear the line shuffling forward. A quick glance behind her and she saw the entire length of the street was filled with people. There were easily over a hundred now and counting.

"I'd like you to make a delivery to a dear acquaintance of mine," The NPC pulled out a bag and set it on the table in front of her. "He's extremely valuable to the war effort against Illfang and his vile legions of kobolds! Please make sure he gets it before noon!"

"Yeah, sure," Sierra took the package and it was automatically added to her inventory, "Whatever."

She walked off, picking a random direction and sticking to it. Above her, the sky was plain and gray, a thin mist beginning to pick up through the wide city streets. Bright orange tiled rooftops mixed with white and grey stone walls, but even their cheer was dulled by the morning.

"Greetings noble adventurer!" She heard behind her as she turned a corner.

Sierra opened her menu, looking at her pathetic collection of items. 43 Col, worn shoes, an apple and the ragged clothes she had equipped. She hadn't even bought the clothes; they were simply items that were automatically added to anyone's inventory when they had nothing else to wear. At least the creators had decided even the poorest players shouldn't have to go naked.

They were drab, dull brown rags: a thin t-shirt that did nothing to stop the chilly winter air and equally worn pants that were thread-bare at the end. At least she had shoes, so she was one of the luckier non-players. Many of them couldn't even afford that.

Several people hung around each alleyway she passed, each in various states of unwell. Some were propped up against doorways, struggling to sleep through yet another miserable day. Others stooped under overhangs, examining their inventories wistfully. She only saw one player with a weapon, a small dagger he probably got as a random quest reward. He was showing the pathetic thing to a couple of other non-players and they all marveled over how much he could sell it for.

Only a few Col, Sierra thought grimly. She'd gotten one too a while back. It didn't last long before the temptation of selling it for some food set in. With a dagger, she could have gone out to fight some «Frenzy Boars». She shook that errant thought away. No way could she face those things.

A few minutes of walking and the shiny white and grey buildings turned more brown and broken. An occasional burned-out building and more than a handful temporary wooden shelters dotted the area. Even the beggar NPCs were less numerous than the non-players sitting around and doing nothing. A couple of them curled up on the ground their hands tight around their stomachs.

Hunger was a maddening thing. Without eating in-game, they'd suffer increasingly painful stomach aches. Though they wouldn't die of it, the pain was constant and mind-numbing. It was enough for Sierra to sell her armor just to get ahold of a few apples.

"Hey," Sierra glanced down an alleyway. A male player in armor leaned over a nervous and evidently uncomfortable young woman. He had effectively pinned her against the wall and was leaning in close. "Don't you want to eat something?"

"Y-yeah," Sierra hung around, watching from the mouth of side-passage. A wave of sickness went through her as the girl looked hopefully at the player, "You… you'll feed me?"

"Yeah, baby. I'll take you out to eat, but you gotta do me a favor," The man smiled, his face inches from the young woman's.

Sierra turned away, rushing down the opposite alleyway. In her mind she saw the girl's hopeful expression as the player cornered her against the wall, the subtle way he eyed her over. All for a bit of food, a bit of comfort. Sierra's fists grew white with pain as she stalked down the alley.

She could feel her stomach growling.

The «West Quarter Barracks» lay snug against the walls of «Starting City», nestled between two run-down NPC houses. A couple of guards were standing outside the entrance, looking out over the wide street leading up to the barracks. A few other NPC guards exited the barracks, dragging a non-player between them off towards the «Black Iron Palace».

"I told you I didn't do it!" The man shouted, thrashing about. He couldn't escape.

"You have violated the «Harassment Code», scum!" One guard replied, "You will be prosecuted accordingly!"

"She was asking for it!" The man kicked his feet, trying to regain his balance as the guards dragged him from under the arms, "What did she expect when she's dancing in a bar?"

Sierra ignored the spectacle, walking up to the guards and materializing the bag she received from the quest-giver. Immediately upon walking up, one of the guards smiled appreciatively, shifting quickly from his stern and harsh persona to a more friendly and sociable mode for the quest.

"Greetings Adventurer!" Luckily for Sierra, the pseudo-randomized location given for the quest made it so that she didn't have to wait in line for a second time. "Is that a delivery for «Captain Garlocke»?"

"Yeah." Sierra said quickly. The guard took the bag from her, depositing several coins into her palm with his free hand. It was a quick motion, a highly unnatural and coordinated thing.

"Thank you for your assistance in the war effort!" The guard said, dematerializing the bag and returning to his stoic self. Sierra sighed, walking away quickly and 10 Col richer.

She had 53 Col now, which was enough to stay at an inn for the night. She smiled at that thought, thoroughly conscious of the rumbling in her stomach and the grimy, sweaty feel of her clothes as she walked. Complimentary food and a common bath was exactly what she needed, though she wouldn't be able to check in until the afternoon.

Her daily quest done, Sierra headed towards the town center. She worked through the list of quests she could possibly do in her head. She'd only be able to do «Finding Mrs. Litterby's Toupée» again tomorrow. «An Unplanned Misconception», a quest about resolving a young woman's problems with her ridiculously numerous sexual misadventures, wouldn't become available again until Friday, the day after tomorrow.

A few NPCs strolled about, oblivious to the legions of pained non-players.

A commotion to the side snapped her out of her thoughts. She passed a building as a couple of loud players exited it, the well-worn sign indicating it as the «Lone Star Tavern». Most of the players were in sets of iron or leather armor, chattering among themselves. As Sierra watched, they gathered around a nearby NPC desperately calling for attention outside the tavern. He wore peasant's clothing, though Sierra couldn't help but notice how even that cheap outfit was of a significantly higher quality than her own rags.

"Please, won't anyone save my darling daughter from the «Frenzy Boars»?" He called out. When one of the players approached, the NPC turned towards him with a relieved expression.

"Oh, come on, Taruken!" One of the players said, putting her hands on her hips and puffing out her cheeks. She was a pretty young woman, probably only seventeen or eighteen, with long brown hair and very fair skin. "You haven't beaten that quest yet? I did it ages ago!"

"Relax, Yuuki," The man responded, laughing lightly, "I'm not as good at all this as you are. I only started playing seriously last week."

"Yeah, you're lucky I let you freeload off of me," A tall man with glasses spoke up.

"Don't worry, Taruken," One of the others, a boy with fiery red hair, said, "We'll all help you out! Besides, the NPC's daughter is quite the cutie."

"Oh my god, you're sick," Yuuki playfully punched him in the shoulder.

Sierra stared at the odd group of players in ill-fitting armor as they gathered around the NPC. They were smiling and laughing, an odd thing to see in the non-players outside of alcohol-induced stupors. The young one, Yuuki, had an infectiously bright smile as she joked around with the rest of her group.

She gazed at them long after they had departed, watching as one of the older boys teased Yuuki and how she waved her arms in defiance. They were all younger than Sierra was and though they looked like a rather emaciated bunch, they all seemed happy.

Happy. What an odd feeling.

An odd thought struck her suddenly. What if _she _could do that too? No. Impossible. Each passing day of scrounging up the scraps of the virtual society was the only thing she was worthy of. Wandering among the hungry and the dirty and the desperate was her life now. There was no other option unless she was to risk going _outside_.

Each night before she went to sleep on some random doorstep, she would promise herself the next day would be better. Maybe they'd all be let out once the authorities got ahold of the situation, or she'd stumble upon a ridiculous amount of money, or she'd find a mysterious, well-paying quest nobody else knew about, or… or…

Perhaps it was a moment of madness that propelled her. Perhaps she was just tired of seeing the women propositioned in alleyways, or tired of the hunger tearing at her every day. Perhaps she didn't have a reason at all. Even so, she worked up her courage and approached the NPC, the words spilling from her mouth almost involuntarily.

"I heard your daughter is missing?"

* * *

**Hikari – Floor 1 – November 30, 2022 – 20:13**

"A room, please." Hikari deposited 50 Col on the inn counter and waited as the inn keeper sorted through it.

This was the cheapest inn in «Starting City», but it wasn't like she could afford much better. Staying at an inn every day was a necessary expense, despite the fact that she was saving up for a new axe. No other place in the city had rooms quite this cheap; they were meant for the poorest players and it looked like it, but it gave a free meal and access to a sentō, a communal bath. She shifted her right arm, displeased by the growing feeling of dirtiness. It had been a long week so far of grinding against «Frenzy Boars» and «Dire Wolves» and she'd only gained a single level. Even so, level 5 was an improvement. Perhaps it was time she grinded against kobolds more often.

"Here you go," The innkeeper said, bowing and sliding two keys over to her, "You have room B on the third floor. There's also a key to the bath. Breakfast is served at 8 in the mess hall."

"Thank you," Hikari bowed.

First things first, the bath. Hikari picked up her step, becoming increasingly uncomfortable with her level of stink with every movement. If she remembered the inn from the last time she stayed here, the bath was on the first floor. She turned a corner and walked up to the two separated doors. One indicated male and the other female.

All she had to do to open the female bath was hold her key in front of it. As she passed through it, an image of one of the other times she'd come to this particular inn came to mind. A young man had waited outside the baths for someone to enter. Just as Hikari was opening the door, he rushed up and grabbed the door. Before Hikari could react, he had tried to get into the sentō.

The result was the system forcefully ejecting the man from the bath and a «Harassment Notice» popping up in front of him, indicating that NPC guards were on the way to arrest him. In a flustered panic, the guy had ran off before Hikari could say a word.

A burst of warm air greeted her as she entered the sentō. It was still early in the night and there didn't look to be anyone inside. A large, wide barrier separated out the tiled floor of the women's bath. Several faucets lined the sides where she could sit and wash herself and there was a large pool towards the far wall she could relax in once she was done cleaning herself.

"Functional plumbing in a medieval city," Hikari chuckled, unequipping her armor, "Will the wonders never cease?"

A cool breeze ran through the room as she stood naked. It was an open-air facility and the top of the bath was exposed to the night sky. There were no tall buildings nearby for any particularly adventurous players to try and sneak a look into the bath and none of the inn rooms had windows facing into the baths as far she knew. Overall, it seemed an incredible amount of time went into the construction and design of the modern-looking sentō.

She washed herself quickly to remove the dust and grime from her day of outdoor adventuring. Thankfully, but also weirdly, the game did not bother simulating a person's gastric functions. While «Sword Art Online» went to great lengths simulating realism in other aspects, such as the inclusion of artificial hunger, thirst and introducing the necessity of bathing, it appeared Kayaba Akihiko had no interest in forcing people to use the toilet.

Once she was done washing, she moved quickly to the warm bath to relax. She sank into the water. The sensation was incredibly similar to real life, but just like everything else there was just a little something that was off. Perhaps it was the feel of the waves lapping lightly against her chest, or the odd way heat didn't necessarily feel painful even when she felt it should.

Hikari hadn't noticed she was dozing off until the door to the bath slammed open. Her eyes opened quickly to see a woman dressed in rags walk around the barrier into the bathing area. She was slender, with medium-length black hair and dull green eyes. The two women locked eyes for a moment before the newcomer unequipped her dirty clothing.

She stood there in the default white underwear. The woman thumbed through her menu before hovering over the particular option on the menu to unequip them. Hikari smiled; she had much the same reaction, the same hesitation before she'd first used the virtual baths. The newcomer glanced over at Hikari a second time, then a third.

"It's okay," Hikari called out, swimming to the edge of the pool, "We're both girls here. I don't bite."

The girl chuckled, though it sounded more like the release of pressure than anything else. She said, "Sorry. Every other time I've used these, they were empty. I'm just not used to other people being around."

"If you're uncomfortable, you can still bathe with your underwear on and it'll have the same effect. The game designers took a person's personal comfort into consideration about that." It felt odd to say it, but it was true. Kayaba Akihiko was perfectly willing to lock players in a death game, but he was considerate enough to allow a person to keep their personal sense of privacy intact.

"No, it's fine," The woman closed her eyes, breathing deep before unequipping her underwear. It vanished with a quick flash and she sat down on one of the stools to start washing herself. Soap was provided by the inn; it was a convenience Hikari hadn't been afforded in real-world sentōs.

From the looks of it, the newcomer was a non-player. She looked worn-down, with sunken eyes and large bags under her eyes. Her expression was dark and focused, staring off into the distance as she gently scrubbed herself off.

"What's your username?" Hikari called, smiling softly as the woman turned towards her, "I'm Hikari."

"Sierra."

"Oh, sounds western," Hikari giggled, "You didn't want to pick a Japanese name?"

"I guess my roots don't interest me," Sierra shrugged. She paused for a long moment, thinking before continuing, "It feels odd to introduce myself with my username, but I guess that's who I am now."

Hikari recalled Sierra's tense gait as she had walked, the uncertainty in her every action. She was a non-player through and through. Nervous and afraid, uncertain and wary. Hikari felt her throat tighten at that. She knew living conditions were terrible in «Starting City» at the moment and only seemed to be getting worse. What had Sierra gone through to get to this point?

"Sierra-"

"Hey," The woman interrupted her, looking Hikari dead in the eye as she finished rinsing herself off, "You're not a non-player, right?"

"Maybe. How would you know that?"

"You don't have the pathetic look of most of my kind," Sierra shrugged, standing. She walked over to the bath and slid into the water a respectable distance away from Hikari. Leaning back against the wall, she continued, "You look more put-together. Respectable. Occasionally I see people like you who don't belong among the rest of us losers.

"You aren't a loser," Hikari slid closer to the woman, concerned, "I don't look down on non-players."

"I don't _want _to be a non-player," Sierra muttered, barely imperceptible.

Hikari pondered the situation for a long while, focusing on Sierra's worried expression. She'd already grinded to level 5, so her goal for the week had already been met. In addition, she had enough funds to spend the next few nights at the inn. In essence, she was free at least until the end of the week.

"Let me help you out," Hikari said finally. Sierra looked up at her in shock, about to deny her, when Hikari continued, "Don't protest. It's like I'm doing a social good, you know? Getting someone off the streets and all."

"How could you possibly help me?" Sierra shook her head, "I'm hopeless."

"No, you're just inexperienced," Hikari took Sierra's hand, "And I can put you on the right path, you know? We can go tomorrow morning and hunt some «Frenzy Boars». You know that quest about that lame old man who lost his daughter? There's a decent randomized equipment reward from that."

"I…" Sierra looked down and away, "Thank you. I-I don't know if I can do it, but thank you."

"Don't worry about it," Hikari grinned.

They chatted for a long while after that, the two women settling into a conversation about nothing. Somehow it felt like it meant everything to the non-player sitting beside her, whose quiet responses were sometimes painful to hear. How she had lasted so long without any help was astonishing, especially considering all the dangers present in «Starting City». Between the constant conflict, the predatory behavior of certain players and the general harsh environment of living on the streets, it was a miracle Sierra was in as good shape as she was after a month.

Hikari knew her newfound companion wasn't a good representative of the general status of non-players. If estimates by some of the newly-made fact-finding committees were true, there were at least 4,000 players who made a permanent residence in «Starting City» without actually playing the game. The number was decreasing every day, but nobody held any illusions it would disappear entirely. Sexual assault and harassment remained at a staggeringly high level and there were still several suicides a day. Most players had taken to other towns to escape from the chaos and the depressive atmosphere of the central town.

And they were still stuck on the first floor.

When the two women finally exited the sentō and retreated to their individual rooms, Hikari felt both hopeful and terrified. Suddenly she was responsible for the life and well-being of this woman, Sierra, who desperately needed to get out the city. Yet even though she was uncertain about being responsible for Sierra's life, there was a certain satisfaction in knowing she was helping her.

Archaeus would be proud, rest his soul.

The next morning came quickly, forcing Hikari into her all-too familiar waking habits. First, the alarm went off at 6:00 sharp. The ideal time to get up and leave since most players would not be out in the field stealing all the spawn areas. Hikari cracked her eyes open quickly, the weight and allure of sleep bearing down upon her. She was so soft and comfortable…

She hit the snooze button. Ten more minutes of bliss.

Enough repeats of this and it was already 7:00. Hikari swore, dragging herself out of bed and rubbing exhaustion from her eyes. Days of farming and grinding didn't exactly do her body good. She equipped her «Starter Leather Coat» and her «Beginner's Greataxe», the heavy wood and iron weapon resting on her back. A quick once-over of her brunette, curly hair turned into an extended pruning session, fixing errant hairs and pressing down those ever-present and ever-stubborn curls at her hairline.

"I wish I had straight hair…" Hikari whined, eventually giving up.

Most days she wouldn't care about how she looked. The «Frenzy Boars» and «Dire Wolves» didn't notice one way or the other if her hair was sub-par or not, so usually Hikari didn't either. But today was different, whether she was entirely willing to admit it or not. For the first time since travelling with Archaeus, she had a partner.

A cute one too.

Sierra had been a grimy mess when she walked into the sentō the night before, but she cleaned up impressively. Hikari knew she was attracted to the woman, though she'd have to hide that fact. The poor non-player had seemed incredibly grateful Hikari was helping her out. No sense introducing any awkwardness into the training session.

To her surprise, Sierra was waiting in the main lobby of the inn before Hikari even arrived. The woman smiled as she entered the room, standing quickly and awkwardly to greet her. Hikari looked her over; she was wearing those plain and drab default clothes.

"Good morning," Hikari said, smiling.

"Mornin'."

"You already eat?" Hikari's stomach growled a bit, but she had food in her inventory.

"Yeah."

"Do you have any armor or weapons?" She already felt she knew the answer. Sierra shook her head. "I suppose I can afford to get you something. The «Beginner Series» is ridiculously cheap, especially with the inflation of weak weapons brought on by non-players selling their weapons."

"Inflation?" Sierra asked, "This game has something like that?"

"Yeah," Hikari nodded, gesturing for the door. They left quickly and Hikari led the way to a nearby blacksmith. "Lots of non-players have been selling their weapons and armor to pay for food and lodging just like you," Sierra cringed at that, provoking a spike of guilt in Hikari's gut, "But that also means those weapons are dirt cheap. I can probably earn back whatever I spend on you from just a few kills."

Hikari knew she said it casually. Fighting «Frenzy Boars» and «Dire Wolves» came naturally. It was difficult to imagine it as any different for other people. However, looking at Sierra now, the young woman was the image of terror at the prospect of even leaving the city.

But there was also eagerness hidden beneath. Hikari doubted Sierra even recognized it.

"Th-Thank you."

"Don't worry about it."

It wasn't until after she'd bought Sierra a «Starter Leather Coat» and a «Beginner's Scimitar» that Hikari realized Sierra had literally no possessions. No clothes, no items, nothing. With a determined grit and ignoring Sierra's cries to stop helping her, Hikari dragged the non-player to a nearby clothing store for decent clothes, to a general store for camping supplies and other basic necessities, and finally to a market to get a bite of lunch.

"Hey, Hikari?" Sierra stopped her as they backtracked away from the central marketplace. When Hikari felt the gentle tug on her sleeve, they were standing in a large courtyard surrounded by upper-class NPC mansions.

"What's up?"

"How do you know you're helping me?" Sierra was fidgeting in her new armor, one hand nervously gripping the scimitar. "What if I just wind up back on the street again?"

"Guess you just gotta help yourself," Hikari shrugged, "I can give you the boost you need, but I wouldn't throw my money at you forever. It's up to you to take what I've given you and establish yourself."

"I…" Sierra looked down and away, "Thank you. What you're doing really means a lot."

"Don't worry about it!" Hikari smiled sadly at how Sierra's quiet insecurity tugged at her, "I wasn't gonna be busy today anyway. This just gives me something to do."

In truth, Hikari had no idea if she was doing the right thing. As they passed out of the rich district and into the shadier parts of «Starting City», she could see the non-players begin to accumulate. They appeared in doorways, on the side of the road, in alleyways. Outwardly, Sierra was just another one of those desperate people. But Sierra was different. She had to be.

There had to be a will to live.

Right?

* * *

**Sierra – Floor 1 – December 1, 2022 – 14:23**

"You just let the system take control of your movements," The young woman's supportive voice came from the side, but Sierra didn't dare look towards her, "It's just like how your in-game menu illustrates. Move your body the way it shows you on the screen and you'll be able to use that «Sword Skill»."

"Easier said than done!" Sierra barked back, her scimitar shaking, rattling in her unstable hands. She could barely hold the weapon, let alone swing it effectively or activate a «Sword Skill».

The «Frenzy Boar» stood in front of her, steam erupting from its wide, thick nostrils. Its fur was a midnight dark blue and its eyes red as fire. It beat the ground with a heavy hoof, throwing its head back as it faced down Sierra.

"This is literally the weakest monster in the game," Hikari called out, "Aim for the back of the head."

The beast lunged forward a step, prompting a shrill shriek from Sierra as she fell backwards onto her behind. The «Frenzy Boar» didn't attack, jumping back a step. Sierra looked at it, confused that it had retreated. She could hardly think from the fear, from the rush of adrenaline that burst through her when the creature tried to attack.

"The mob has a one-in-three chance of failing to attack," Hikari called out, "And none of these guys will engage you in combat unless you threaten them first. You didn't kill any of these before Kayaba announced we were all well and truly boned? Even I managed to fight a couple."

"I logged in late," Sierra stood, using her scimitar as support to do so, "Only a little while before the speech began. I didn't have the time to do much besides some sight-seeing."

"You haven't killed a single monster?"

"Nope."

The «Frenzy Boar» tossed its head, pacing back and forth in front of Sierra. She leveled her scimitar towards the thing, focusing. All she had to do was hit it. All she had to do…

"Yaaaah!" Sierra shouted, charging the thing.

She ignored her mounting terror; the crippling need to run away to safety. With every step forward the feeling only increased. She raised her blade, struggling to keep her hands from shaking so bad that she'd let the heavy scimitar go.

The red-eyed «Frenzy Boar» squealed, charging her. Sierra froze up, screaming and throwing her arms up. She attempted to turn around as the creature barreled into her, its tusks digging deep into her forearm. Sierra expected pain, but the only sensation she felt was a cold numbness as she fell back onto her behind again, the «Frenzy Boar» retreating a few feet.

"You see the pattern yet?" Hikari called from the side, "It's different for every monster, but they follow an internal AI. For a «Frenzy Boar», they attack, retreat a little while, and repeat. It's really easy to take advantage of that pattern once you've got it down. Too bad it's different for every monster – some, like kobolds, don't even pause – or this game would be really easy."

Sierra got to her feet, her fear replaced by rage. This piece of shit monster knocked her back twice! Already she could see her health dipping down less than 100% for the first time. It was only a few points, but it was still something.

The «Frenzy Boar» charged again, but this time Sierra expected it. She ran forward, her scimitar held in front and focusing intently on its tusks. At the last second, the «Frenzy Boar» pulled back, its attack failing according to the internal AI. It showed its back, exposing itself.

Seeing her chance, Sierra slammed her weapon down on the back of the boar's neck. The slash of the blade opened the creature wide from neck to stomach, a long red gash appearing down the thing's side. The pig squealed as it tossed its head in pain. Its health was in the red now.

Just as the pig was turning about, Sierra brought down her scimitar once last time, slashing a clean line along its neck. It wasn't enough to decapitate the thing, but the head flopped off the body as it hung on the remaining attached flesh. The creature slumped over, finally dead.

Sierra stood over the messy and bloody corpse of the fallen pig. Its corpse oozed thick red blood. Blood and bone in this game was clear and visceral. Through the wound in its stomach she could see its intestines. Her adrenaline rush fading, Sierra slumped to her knees, staring at the defeated thing in wonder.

"You did it!" Hikari called from the side, celebrating as she ran over, "You killed your first one!"

"Yeah," Sierra smiled up at the young woman, "I did."

A screen popped up in front of Sierra, showing a list of items she'd obtained from the fight: A «Frenzy Boar Leather», a «Frenzy Boar Tusk», and «11 Col». Sierra opened her mouth in shock, staring at the amount of money she'd earned.

"11 Col?" She said, flabbergasted, "But that's so much! That's the amount I get from one of my daily delivery quests."

"And now you're starting to see why the players have a lot more money than the non-players," Hikari said, "A few more kills and you'll have a roof over your head tonight. That's usually what I call my break-even point. I make sure I make more money every day than I have to spend to survive."

"But that just begs the question. Why do boars drop Col?" Sierra puzzled over the menu as she accepted each of the items she obtained and they appeared in her inventory, "I mean, it makes sense for there to be skin drops and tusk drops, but why Col? Boars wouldn't naturally carry money."

"It's just an RPG thing," Hikari waved her hands, "It works out better for us anyway, because the amount of «Frenzy Boar Leather» and «Frenzy Boar Tusks» on the market right now have driven the prices of the objects into the dirt. You may as well keep them."

"What could I use them for?"

"Leveling your «Crafting» skill or turning them in at a «Monster Hunting Association»," Hikari paused as the «Frenzy Boar» corpse began to shimmer slightly, "Oh, hey, make sure you use your «Harvest» skill on the corpse to get more stuff. At low levels, you don't get much, but I'm assuming it'll get a lot better at higher levels. Just kneel in front of the body and a menu will pop up."

Sierra did as Hikari said. The menu popped up, prompting her if she wanted to «Harvest» the boar. She clicked «Yes» and the boar's corpse disappeared. A secondary menu showed up to inform her that she'd obtained more items: another piece of «Frenzy Boar Leather», a «Medium Animal Bone», and a «Shiny Round Stone» which was noted to be obtained from its stomach.

"Oh hey, I've gotten one of those stones before," Hikari grinned as Sierra accepted the items, "They're a bit more valuable than the regular drops and can be used for higher level crafting. You're pretty lucky to get one on your first kill!"

Sierra turned back to «Starting City», its white walls and tall buildings shining in the afternoon sun. Underneath that beauty was a nest of desperation, of people too afraid to venture outside. A life she used to belong to. But now, thanks to Hikari, she had a chance to escape.

"Should we go kill more?" Sierra asked Hikari, and they both grinned.

It was about three hours and eighteen kills later when Sierra and Hikari finally reached the «Breeding Grounds». It was a wide, bell-shaped and low stretch of ground that was slicked with mud and pig feces. Many of the creatures strolled about, whining and squealing at each other. Others rolled around in the muck, their dark-blue fur painted brown. The skeletons of much, much larger pigs dotted the ground, though there was only one nearby of that size.

Sierra and Hikari crouched behind some bushes, staring down into the depression. Sierra examined the «Breeding Grounds» further. There was only one entrance, an opening in the rocks near where they crouched. The rest of the area was surrounded by rocks that gave way to a steep incline down into the murky home of the pigs. It was deepest at the far wall.

"There," Hikari whispered, pointing, "You see that fat tusk-less one at the end?"

Sierra followed her finger towards the giant pig, its broad, pale blue shoulders stooped over something it was chewing on. The thing reared its head back, its fat and flabby face gazing at the sky. It was several times larger than the regular «Frenzy Boar» monsters and each step seemed to be a chore for the massive creature. Sierra shivered. The thing was the size of a truck.

"Yeah, I see it."

"The thing it's chewing on," Hikari motioned at the small bundle of red, white and grey at the mother pig's feet, "That's the farmer's daughter. She's dead."

"So much for being kidnapped," Sierra shook her head, squinting down into the depression, "But I guess it makes sense. Pigs don't kidnap people. They would just kill them. So can we just return to the farmer now?"

"No. Not yet. You have to get close enough for a menu to pop up saying something like 'You have found the farmer's daughter,' and then you can collect your reward."

"So we kill the mother pig?"

"Oh, heaven's no," Hikari shook her head, "That thing is a raid boss! Nobody has managed to kill it yet. I don't know if anyone has dared to try. If you get too close, the raid boss will attack you along with every other «Frenzy Boar» down in that clearing."

"So how do we beat the quest?"

"Simple," Hikari materialized a longbow, a grin stretching across her pretty face, "I've already finished this quest. A friend of mine showed me how to do it a while back. If I attack the «Mother of All Pigs», every «Frenzy Boar» down there is going to agro onto me. While they're all busy chasing me, you go down and get close enough to the dead woman to update the quest."

"But that's dangerous!" Sierra protested, standing up just as Hikari readied an arrow, "You're risking your life for an in-game quest! That's ridiculous!"

"It's not a game, Sierra," Hikari narrowed her eyes, drawing back the bow to test it. Her gloved hands wrapped tight around the bow, her form steady and strong. "This is our reality now. Besides, I'm not risking my life as much as it seems. I've got a head start and «Frenzy Boars» aren't very fast. I'm more worried about you."

"Why me?"

Hikari shrugged and said, "Because you're a noob."

A few minutes later, Sierra found herself crouched among the rocks on the far side of the «Breeding Grounds». She could see Hikari across the way getting into position, her bow trained on the «Mother of All Pigs». Sierra's hands shook as she gripped a nearby rock, preparing to slide down the steep incline close to the mangled body of the farmer's daughter.

The raid boss huffed, looking around warily as if it sensed the two players close by. It took a break from feeding off the corpse and walked towards the wall, sniffing absently at the rocks. Sierra held her breath as Hikari drew back her bow at the opposite end of the depression.

Her first arrow imbedded into the shoulder of the «Mother of All Boars» heavily, the monster stumbling back just a step. Instantly every «Frenzy Boar» in the clearing looked around for the assailant. Their leader tossed its head in fury, stalking towards the single entryway. A second arrow thudded into its stomach.

Sierra looked up at the health bar appearing around the raid boss. The damage done by those two shots were miniscule even though each could have killed a «Frenzy Boar» outright. As if reading Sierra's mind, Hikari let loose another arrow into a «Frenzy Boar» idling near the entrance.

Hikari jumped up, waving her arms and shouting above the clearing. Every boar charged towards her, huffing and squealing mightily. Hikari let loose another arrow, killing another «Frenzy Boar», and ran off. The remaining ten or so boars all charged after her. The «Mother of All Boars» followed, but stopped near the entrance to the clearing and stared after Hikari.

Sierra slid around the rocks, dangling her feet down onto the slippery mud slope that led into the clearing. As she let go, the «Mother of All Boars» remained fixed near the entryway near the far wall. She glided down the incline, leaning back to keep herself from falling. Mud caked onto her boots and gloves as she maneuvered down the twenty feet or so to the clearing bottom.

"Why isn't the boss following her?" Sierra growled quietly to herself as she reached the bottom. The raid boss was still hanging around the entrance to the «Breeding Grounds», pawing at the ground and shaking its head. In the distance Sierra could hear Hikari hollering at the pigs.

She only had to take a few steps toward the mangled body of the farmer's daughter before a menu popped up in front of her, a somber message on the screen indicated the quest had been advanced. Sierra clicked the message away and stared down at the corpse. Empty blue eyes stared into space and her face was splattered with blood. Her torso was ripped up and her entrails were exposed. Sierra felt her heart tighten. It was just a game. She wasn't real.

Sierra felt something strike her side, a numbing cold feeling in her side as she was launched several feet to the side. Somewhere in the distance someone screamed as Sierra felt her body hit the rocks near the wall.

She groaned, rolling over. A massive shape loomed over her. Sierra dodged to the side just as a heavy face slammed into where she just was. The «Mother of All Boars» loomed over her, its bright red eyes wide with fury. The pale blue fur all along its back was bristled and steam ejected from its wide pink nostrils.

"Sierra, run!"

The voice spurred her into action. Sierra rolled away from another strike from the boss, scrambling to her feet. There was a heavy ringing in her ears, her steps messy and rushed. Behind her, the boss pig squealed.

Another heavy impact against her side and Sierra felt herself flung against the side of the clearing, her head cracking against the rocks. In real life, a blow like that would have knocked her out or worse, but Sierra's HP simply dipped down into the red. She stared up at the massive mother pig as it reared its head back to strike the finishing blow.

"C'mere, piggy!" A shout from the side. An arrow slammed into the side of the raid boss's face, forcing its head to the side. A high-pitched squeal erupted from its snout as the raid boss turned towards Hikari, who stood at the entrance of the «Breeding Grounds».

Mud caked the young woman, sprayed all over her hair and face. Hikari's leather armor clung to her body as she stood firm at the mouth to the raid boss's domain. Her bow was drawn tight, one arm back and straight while the other gripped the shaft of the bow tight. Her expression was wild and carefree, a ruthless smile adorning her normally soft features.

"Now, Sierra!" Hikari shouted, letting free another arrow. Sierra drew her scimitar, slashing the «Mother of all Pigs» across the snout. The massive thing reared back onto its hind legs, only to get several arrows in the stomach for it.

Sierra darted for the entrance of the «Breeding Grounds», panting with every step. Hikari let fly another few arrows, keeping the raid boss back as the player made her escape.

"The other boars?" Sierra asked as she came close, her feet sliding somewhat on the mud.

"All dead," Hikari loosed another arrow.

"We should get out of here," Sierra said, and Hikari nodded.

The two women took off, running towards «Starting City». Behind them, Sierra could hear the «Mother of all Pigs» screaming and squealing, but it could not keep up with them. Eventually they left it behind. Their feet pounding beneath them, the soft grass made way for the two young women running through the fields. Sierra shouted in exhilaration as the two charged back towards town. She smiled, letting the adrenaline flow through her.

She was alive. She was alive. She was alive!

* * *

**Hikari – Floor 1 – December 1, 2022 – 18:12**

"She's dead, you say?" Tears welled up in the old farmer's eyes, "My little girl… Here, take this anyway as a reward. I have no use for an old family trinket like that now that the light of life has gone. You still deserve payment for finding her."

Hikari peered over Sierra's shoulder as a menu popped up in front of the former non-player. Sierra stared at it, her mouth agape.

"F-f-f-five hundred Col?"

"He gave you a random weapon too," Hikari pointed at the screen, "Oh look, you got a «Steel Scimitar». I got my bow from this quest. You're lucky to get something you're already using."

The farmer bowed and the two women began to walk away. Almost immediately, Hikari heard the farmer launch back into his generated lines as he implored the various players and non-players walking past to come help him.

"Please, won't anyone save my darling daughter from the «Frenzy Boars»?"

"I leveled up," Sierra said. Hikari turned to the girl, smiling at the shocked expression on the young woman's face.

"Yeah, the quest gives experience too. It's pretty nifty."

Sierra opened up her menu, managing her attributes. Despite her looks, Sierra had turned out to be a competent fighter. Cowardly, sure, but when she was able to but the fear aside, Hikari could see potential.

Is that what Archaeus had seen in her?

"So what now?" Hikari stopped when Sierra asked the question. The sun was going down, descending down the center of Western Road, the main thoroughfare extending out from the «Black Iron Palace». The question made her pause because she hadn't considered it; what came next?

"I guess…" Hikari mulled over the words, uncertain what to say, "We part ways. I've got a quest I've got to finish in the northern segment of the floor. I was thinking I'd travel to either «Horunka» or «Tolbana» tomorrow, and then from there head to the «Military Encampment» to sort out that quest."

"Right, uh, yeah," Sierra said quickly. They both stopped in the middle of the road. "So I guess this is goodbye?"

"For now, yeah," Hikari smiled, "I'm glad I managed to help you overcome your fear of fighting monsters."

"You've pretty much saved me," Sierra nodded slightly, showing respect to her teacher, "It's not like the fear is completely gone, but I wouldn't have made it nearly as far without your help."

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Hikari smiled, bowing.

"Yeah. Take care, Hikari," Sierra bowed back.

At once, the two women took a step in the same direction. For a moment, they both paused, looking at each other in confusion. Finally a grin stretched across Sierra's face and Hikari felt a certain light giddiness run through here. Hikari spoke, almost laughing the words.

"We're going to the same inn."

The rest of the night was pleasant enough. Hikari chatted with Sierra for a long while at the same inn where they met, both of them talking about nothing in particular. Sierra marveled continuously about how she was able to stay the night at an inn two nights in a row. It was a simple thing, but Hikari could tell it meant the world to the former non-player. Neither players were particularly open about their pasts, but neither particularly cared to know.

They bathed at the same time again, chatting amicably the entire time. Sierra held no concerns this time about getting naked to wash and Hikari was glad to watch – discretely, of course. A couple of times she thought Sierra was checking her out, but she chalked it up to her imagination. When the bath was over, they retreated to their respective rooms, finally saying their goodbyes properly in case they didn't see each other in the morning.

When Hikari finally collapsed that night onto the not-so-soft but incredibly cheap bed of the inn, it felt like a day well spent.

One of the few.

Morning came with more of the same misery. Hikari swore at her alarm, shutting it off with another curse and turning around in her sheets. Another hour passed before she finally deigned to get up. When she ate her complimentary breakfast, Sierra was absent. Hikari felt more than a subtle twinge of regret at that, but packed up and left anyway.

The grass lining the morning road was wet with dew. The packed-dirt pathway stretched over rolling hills and into the nearby forest. The «Meandering Forest», it was called. Although it was still a mile distant, Hikari could see the tall, dark trees jutting out severely from among the hills. Beyond that would be «Tolbana». Further still would be the «Military Encampment» where the NPC «Princess Asteria» lay waiting for Hikari to finish her quest.

It was a simple mission – run all the way back to «Starting City» and deliver a map to one of the NPC commanders of «Black Iron Palace». The problem was that all of Hikari's quests were on the other side of the «Meandering Forest». She was pretty much done with the beginner's side, or so the other players called it. Rumor had it that there were other similar quests that came later that would make her backtrack again.

Even so, the unexpected and inconvenient side-tracking quest caused her to meet Sierra. As annoying as traveling all the way back to «Starting City» was, at least she made a friend. Hikari looked over her friend's list. Archaeus and Sierra. The only two so far. She turned her head back to the clear blue sky; there wasn't a cloud in sight.

Who would she meet next?

The sun was already overhead when she reached the entrance to the forest. A man stood around the entrance, pacing back and forth and waving his arms. He was tall and college-aged with red hair. He waved at her as she approached. Hikari paused for a moment. A highwayman?

"Hail traveler!" He called out.

"Uh, hello," Hikari stopped in front of the young man. He was armored in «Light Metal Armor» which was obviously designed to resemble traditional samurai armor. A scimitar hung at his belt.

"I've got a question," The young man began, "You familiar with the «Meandering Forest»?"

"I suppose so," Hikari said, shifting from one foot to the other, "Why do you ask?"

"Well, my buddies and I generally cross this forest through the «Horunka» side, but we're in a rush to «Tolbana» to get to a meeting. We got lost and got attacked by a bunch of these plant-monster things."

"Ah, the «Little Nepenths»," Hikari nodded, "I fought a bunch of those for a quest in «Horunka», but I gave up since the drop rate for the quest item was stupidly low."

"Oh, you gave up too?" Klein chuckled, "I wound up falling off a cliff. I made my way around back to the entrance, but I can't contact my friends through private messaging since the forest is registered as a dungeon. Could you help me get to the other side? I'm sure they'll wind up there eventually."

Hikari shrugged, saying, "I suppose so. It's safer to travel in groups. Add me to your party."

"Thank you, thank you," The man bowed profusely, "My name is Klein. I'm the tentative leader of a group of friends. And you?"

"Hikari. I'm a soloer," She said as she accepted the party invitation. A little notification appeared on her menu and Klein's health bar appeared at the top left of her vision. The two started walking side-by-side into the forest, the trees towering over them as they entered.

The «Meandering Forest» was filled with enormous flora, but the underbrush was packed full with plant life as well. Massive flowering plants, bushes and vines snaked along the ground. Moss covered everything, from the packed-dirt road to the trees to any wayward signpost that they passed. Birds chirped overhead, singing sad and vibrant songs all at once. They were joined by more exotic sounds of the forest; insects, small mammals and other mysterious creatures all adding to the cacophony of noise.

Further in, Hikari knew they would begin to find ancient stone ruins. The mossy outcroppings of the ancient ages were overgrown with vegetation, but rumor had it there was a mysterious dungeon hidden amongst the largest of the ruins. Hikari herself had found a treasure chest once. It had been nestled between two giant pillars and covered in vines and plants to the point that it was invisible from the road.

"So are you based out of «Starting City»?" Klein asked. He walked with a relaxed gait, giving Hikari the impression he must have been a slacker in real life. Everything about him screamed 'young, lazy college student.' At least, before everything fell apart.

"No, I've spent the last week questing in «Tolbana». I only went back to «Starting City» to do a delivery quest for the Princess."

"Which one?" Klein laughed, a deep and friendly sound, "I had to backtrack about a week ago with my friends for that. Huge pain, but that's what advances the main quest for this floor. Apparently there are more quests like that later on."

As they began to head into the forest, Hikari felt the game hesitate momentarily, loading the new area. Dungeons like the «Meandering Forest» were often bigger on the inside to preserve world space, meaning they were loaded into an entirely separate cell. The edges of the forest lined up perfectly with the outside barrier to preserve the realism of being able to enter the forest at any point, but the interior was likely several times larger than what it appeared to be outside.

"Has anyone beaten the main quest for this floor?" Hikari wondered aloud, "I honestly can't tell how far I am into it, but I'm pretty sure the boss is gonna be this Illfang monster that all the NPCs are freaked out about."

"«Illfang the Kobold Lord», yeah," Klein put a finger against his lip, "I wonder if anyone's found the dungeon yet. Finishing the main quest is supposed to give you a hint where the dungeon is, but that might just be a rumor."

"I heard a lot of people gave up trying to look," Hikari let out an exasperated sigh, "100 floors and it takes us a month to clear the first? That's," She paused, thinking, "Well, assuming that we clear each floor in exactly one month every time, that works out to be eight years and four months."

"Oh my god," Klein stopped, staring at her, "I'll be over 30 by the time I get out."

"Imagine what it's like for the kids," Hikari shook her head, "There's no way for a NerveGear to tell if someone is a child or just short, so technically anyone of any age could be in the game. I know I saw more than a few children in the courtyard after the «Hand Mirror» changed our appearances to real life."

"It's bad enough for us," Klein grimaced as he spoke, "But yeah, a kid trapped here too? That Kayaba was a freak."

The sun was overhead by the time they reached the first batch of mossy ruins. Tall monoliths stretched up into the trees, collapsed onto each other. Worn-down statues with vines growing out of carved noses and ears stared at them both. Monuments to the gods or simply decoration, they would never be able to tell the difference.

They walked for a long time among the ruins, chatting to pass the time. Klein seemed afraid of silence; if Hikari stopped talking, he would soon say something else. The air was pleasantly cool. The further they got north, the colder the temperature got. The «Military Encampment» itself was snowed on occasionally, but not too often. Here in the forest amidst the bright sunlight and cool shade of the tall trees, the temperature was just perfect.

A nice, relaxing walk.

"Wait, Hikari," Klein held out an arm, holding her back, "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

All at once, the bushes exploded into life around them. Short creatures with dog-like faces and dull orange fur surrounded them. There were at least five, each carrying crude axes or spears and wearing mean, stupid expressions. Their underbellies were off-white with swirling black tattoos that continued onto stumpy arms and legs. A few wore mismatched and incomplete sets of armor – a helmet here, a single pauldron there. Hikari drew her bow, scowling as she spoke.

"Kobolds," She nocked an arrow, pointing it at the nearest one as Klein drew his scimitar.

"Hikari, your weapons?" He asked.

"Greataxe and bow. Yours?"

"Spear and scimitar."

The loose circle around them tightened as the kobolds jeered and barked and threatened them with their barbarically designed weapons. They were among the more dangerous mobs of the floor, having no cool-down time to attack and a tendency to strike in group ambushes. Hikari swore. She should have seen this coming.

"I thought monsters generally stayed off the main roads!" Klein called out. A kobold charged him, its stone axe meeting his scimitar.

"Key word is generally!" Hikari loosed an arrow into one of the kobold's eyes. The monster reared back, clutching a bloody eye-socket and screaming as it tore at the wound. A second arrow caught its throat and the kobold fell silent as it thrashed about on the ground. It would be dead soon.

The monsters charged in, bringing them too close for her to use her bow. Hikari ducked under a swing from a stone sword and slammed the length of her bow against the attacking kobold's face. It cracked weightily against the creature's skull and the thing fell back a few steps. Hikari opened her menu quickly, activating the hotkey that equipped her greataxe and holding it in front of her. The entire motion took two seconds; Hikari felt a grim sense of pride knowing she could switch weapons that easily in combat.

"Behind you!"

Hikari ducked to the side. Klein's scimitar tore through a kobold that was about to bring its sword down on the young woman. She nodded her thanks before spinning, her greataxe catching a kobold's blade. The weight of her strike knocked the creature back a step and Hikari wasted no time. She stepped in, slamming the blade of her axe down onto its chest. The kobold's ribcage collapsed and the creature fell to the ground.

Three down. Two to go.

Hikari and Klein stood back to back, his scimitar in his hand and Hikari's greataxe in hers. The monsters paced around, their expressions duly terrified. Hikari grinned, kicking off and slamming her axe down on the monster. Klein did the same behind her. Hikari shouldered into the parry, forcing the kobold back a step. A quick sideswipe and the kobold jumped away from her again. The thing was faster than the other ones she'd fought.

"Damn it," Hikari swore as she slammed her greataxe into the dirt, missing the kobold again.

The orange thing snickered at her, stabbing at her just as Hikari lifted her axe from the dirt. Caught off balance, the blade bit deep into her stomach. Her health dropped drastically, falling into the yellow. Another strike like that…

Hikari swung her axe around, forcing the kobold back. She stepped away from the thing, circling around it. Just as she prepared to step off and attack, her foot slid around a rock. Hikari twisted awkwardly, losing her balance and stumbling to her knees. The kobold's eyes widened, drool running down its mouth as it saw its chance.

The thing raised its sword, preparing the finished blow. Hikari raised her greataxe but she knew she didn't have the time to defend herself. In just a moment, the thing would swing its blade down and kill her.

But the killing blow never came. A scimitar stuck through the creature's chest, puncturing its heart. Hikari gasped as blood spurted from the mortal would. The kobold fell to its knees, the sword slipping uselessly from its hand. Klein stood behind it, a wide grin stretching across his face as he offered a hand to Hikari. She took it gratefully.

"Tough fight, eh?" Klein said, sheathing his scimitar.

"Thank you," Hikari bowed towards him, "You saved my life."

"Oh, uh, well," Klein rubbed the back of his head, "Don't worry about it. I was just doing my duty, you know?"

Hikari brushed herself down, patting the leather armor she was wearing to get the dust off it as she unequipped her greataxe and slung her bow around her shoulder. She ran her hands through her hair, tying the curly waves into a ponytail and sighing.

"That's a bit of excitement in my life I can do without," Hikari smiled at Klein, her heart still racing with adrenaline.

"Agreed."

It wasn't much longer until the edge of the forest. When they finally broke through the tree cover, the deep valley of the northern section of Floor 1 opened up before them. Bright, vibrant greens and yellows stretched out before them. Nestled in the valley below was «Tolbana» and Hikari could see off in the distance the snow-white lands that held the «Military Encampment». Her only obstacle to completing her quest now were fields of flowers and cheerful meadows.

"And now I know the way through," Klein breathed in deep, evidently enjoying the clear air.

"What about your friends?" Hikari asked, her brow creasing with worry.

"I'll have to go back in to find them," Klein checked his menu, "They must still be inside the forest if I hadn't heard from them. No messages."

"Be careful," Hikari called as Klein stepped back towards the forest, "Let me know what happens so that I know you're safe!"

"I will!"

A message showed up on Hikari's screen: a friend invite from Klein. She accepted it with a smile. And like that, Klein was gone. Hikari turned back to the valley in front of her, the great expanse that beckoned her onwards. There was more than a small amount of worry for Klein's safety nestling within her, but the man was capable even if his appearance didn't suggest it. He'd find his friends. She stepped forward towards «Tolbana».

And now the last leg of her journey.

* * *

**Sierra – Floor 1 – December 5, 2022 – 15:23**

Her blade bit cleanly through the torso of the «Kobold Grunt». The pathetic thing let out a final squeal before collapsing, dead. Sierra panted as the relief flooded her. It had been a close fight, but she'd pulled through.

«Level up!»

The notification popped up in front of her, signaling that she'd made it to level 3. She stood at the edge of the «Meandering Forest» amidst the mossy and ruined remains of an ancient civilization that never was. In front of her, the wide expanse of the «Tolbana Valley» stretched out in front of her.

"Woohoo! We did it!" Yuuki jumped up next to Sierra, slamming her hand down on Sierra's back several times. Sierra coughed as she took the blow.

"It was a tough fight," Sierra replied, smiling at the younger girl, "But we're finally through the forest."

"We didn't find any purple dye, though," Yuuki pouted, "I really wanted to dye my hair."

"Perhaps there isn't any purple dye?" The man with the glasses, Sierra's other temporary companion, spoke up, "We may have to find you red and blue dye instead and mix the two."

"That's lame," Yuuki said, but instantly cheered up as she looked down at the valley. She grabbed Sierra's arm, pointing at the town nestled in the valley. "There's «Tolbana»! Man, it's gonna be great to see Jun and Taruken the rest again. You'd think they'd be willing to help a girl out in finishing a stupid delivery quest."

"The princess's quests have gathered quite the reputation," Sierra mused. Her two temporary companions sheathed their weapons. The kobolds had ambushed them shortly before the exit to the «Meandering Forest». It had been a tough fight, but both of Sierra's companions were very talented fighters and they pulled through.

"I wonder how the boss strategy meeting went," Yuuki pondered, "I think they had found the dungeon a little while before we went back to «Starting City». It was guarded by some boss or something."

"Why didn't you participate, Yuuki?" Sierra asked as the three began to walk down the dirt path into «Tolbana», "You're level 7, aren't you? You'd be able to help them out a lot."

«Tolbana» was still a mile distant, but already Sierra could see the distant outlines of people crowded in the town center. It was the second largest town on the floor next to «Starting City» and had an impressive number of buildings. «Horunka» didn't even come close in size and the rest of the first floor's towns were equally small.

"The «Sleeping Knights» come first," Yuuki grinned, "Beating the floor boss is all good and all, but the well-being of my friends is what matters most. Besides, I'm sure the players at the strategy meeting are all talented enough to handle it on their own. I think Ran might be going to it."

Talented fighters? Sierra mused over the thought. It had been several days since she'd parted ways with Hikari. It had felt so sudden; the woman simply showed up in her life, changed and fixed everything, and then left just as fast. With her help, Sierra had gone from a worthless non-player to an independent participant in the game.

"Eh?" The sound of Yuuki's amused voice drew Sierra's attention away from her thoughts, "Sierra, you look like you're in love. Who were you thinking about?"

"N-N-Nobody!" Sierra blushed, feeling the heat on her face as she turned bright red, "I d-don't know what you're talking about."

"You're so obvious," Yuuki grinned, elbowing Sierra in the side, "Out with it!"

"It wasn't love or anything like that," Sierra mumbled, looking away before adding, louder, "I was thinking about the girl who got me out of being a non-player. She helped me kill my first «Frenzy Boar» and finish my first real quest. She pretty much saved me."

"Oho, so you're into chicks?" Yuuki grinned. The guy in the glasses smirked at Yuuki's teasing.

"I never said-" Sierra paused, sighing, "Yeah, I am."

Her two companions froze up, dumfounded. Yuuki's jaw was practically on the floor and the guy in the glasses had stopped completely in his tracks. Sierra looked back at them, one eyebrow raised while her two companions reeled from the shock.

"Wait, really?" Yuuki burst into life first, a hint of redness on her cheeks as she said, "I had no idea! But that leaves a very important question that I just have to ask. How attractive am I? I need a non-straight opinion."

Sierra laughed. "You're very cute, Yuuki."

"Thank god," Yuuki wiped her brow.

The rest of the walk into «Tolbana» was peaceful, the sun lazily shining down on them. Fields of multi-colored flowers swayed in the breeze. Somewhere off to Sierra's right, in a farmer's pasture, someone was fighting a handful of giant rats. She recognized the quest: «A Farmer's Dilemma». The young man cut left, slashing one of the rats cleanly across the side. Its entrails spilled out onto the farmland as it thrashed and died. The man moved on to the next one.

Thankfully, on this particular stretch of road there were no regular monster spawns and thus no chance of ambush. The kobolds were limited to the forest and the northern areas of the floor closer to where «Illfang the Kobold Lord» hid.

Sierra listened as Yuuki chattered, the young woman's light-hearted voice flitting into the air. Her two scimitars clanked with every step. The more powerful one, her «Steel Scimitar», was her primary weapon. The other, her «Beginner's Scimitar», was a backup in case her dominant weapon broke or if she lost her grip on her main weapon. It was yet another tip she'd picked up over the last couple of days.

About a leisurely half hour later, the gates to «Tolbana» stood ajar before them. The walls were thick and made of carved gray stone. Guards in uniform patrolled the top portion, their red capes flapping in the breeze over chainmail and white cloth over-shirts.

Yuuki bobbed up and down with every step, racing through the gate and calling back at her other two companions. Sierra smiled and followed. Behind the gates stood a quaint town. Vines grew along the walls of white buildings, around wrought-iron windows and stained glass. A small church sprung up in the central courtyard, tall enough to be visible from here.

"Ne, Sierra, why don't you come with us to the «Military Encampment»?" Yuuki stopped in front of her, grabbing Sierra's hand, "Do you have to make a stop here?"

"I'm afraid so," Sierra smiled at the younger girl, who pouted up at her, "It was fun traveling with you, though. I'm glad we ran into each other."

"Yeah!" Yuuki grinned. She fiddled with her menu, sending Sierra a friend invite. She accepted graciously.

They said their goodbyes quickly. Yuuki pouted the entire time but eventually her companion dragged the young girl off. Sierra waved until they were gone.

Yuuki, the girl whose smile was like the sun. Sierra wondered if she'd ever see the cheerful one again. The rest of her friends were all waiting eagerly for her return back at the «Military Encampment». Although that was Sierra's ultimate destination, she had a few stops to make first.

Sierra turned down the first side alley closest to the guardhouse, making a right into the wide streets between houses. The alleys here weren't anything like the ones in Starting City. Instead of being filled with non-players laying around, passing their days with empty stares and furtive glances, the alleys here were clear and bright. Potted plants sat in open windowsills. The scent of baked goods drifted through the air.

Maybe she'd stop by the bakery before heading out to the encampment?

Her first destination was a small shack nestled near the corner where the city walls met the valley edge. The building was squat and small, a quaint red chimney spewing out smoke into the air. A couple of players sat around talking, each one armed and armored.

The «Monster Hunter Association» held an interestingly sub-prime location. Inside, the low-hanging wall was almost too short for most people to stand properly. A short-statured NPC manned the counter, his brows almost too heavy for Sierra to see his eyes. A thick handlebar mustache and full beard obscured the bottom half of his face.

"Whaddya want?" The gruff man spat as Sierra entered. The room inside was too small to hold many other players, so most waited outside for their quest timers to run out.

"I've got my dailies for ya, Bogart," Sierra grinned, slamming her hands on the table and leaning in close, "Fifty «Frenzy Boar Leathers» and fifty «Frenzy Boar Tusks» just for you, sweetheart. Oh, and I got my «Kobold Grunt» quest done finally, so fifty «Kobold Fangs» as well."

The gruff NPC stared at her – or, at least she thought he did, as it was difficult to tell – before grinning wide and opening his arms up. His smile was toothy and irregular, with several golden teeth stuck in amongst the gaps.

"'bout durned time, girl!" A quest menu appeared in front of Sierra, asking if she wanted to turn in the items. She click yes quickly and the items vanished from her inventory, "I've been tellin' the rest-a-these guys all day that they need more dedication just like you!" The short man was gesturing outside at the players milling about, "Durned near nobody bringin' me «Frenzy Boar Leathers» anymore! So what if they're across the forest! You deserve a bonus."

Another menu opened up in front of Sierra, congratulating her on finishing the three quests and showing her rewards. 200 Col for each quest and a couple of useful stones she could grind up to use in «Alchemy». She wasn't particularly good at the art of potion-making yet, but she was getting there.

"Thanks Bogart," Sierra grinned, "I'll be back tomorrow for more quests."

"Durned well better be!"

Outside, a couple of players were getting up, their quest timers finally out. Sierra nodded at them as they passed by. They looked tough, so they'd probably be going for the «Kobold Grunt» repeatable quest or maybe the «Kobold Sentinel» quest. Sierra shivered. The last time she fought a «Kobold Sentinel» had been a nightmare.

She stopped by the bakery, ordering two scones for the road. As she waited, she watched as people passed along the road outside. A young girl and guy were holding hands, talking pleasantly. It was a rare sight to see two people in a relationship in the game, but perhaps it would become more common overtime. Would Yuuki get a boyfriend at some point? Would Hikari?

Sierra waved the thoughts away as the baker handed her the two scones. The NPC smiled politely and bowed as Sierra took her leave. It was still a shock to think about, but it had only been four days since she'd really started playing. Four days of grinding and questing and leveling. Four days of fighting.

She took a quick look at her inventory. 2496 Col. It still surprised her to see so much.

She'd almost died at least three times now. Once against the «Mother of All Pigs», once against the lone «Kobold Sentinel» she'd found outside the «Military Encampment» and once when fighting with Yuuki in the forest against the kobold ambush. After the third time it almost felt like a state of being. Living on the edge had been a laughable and dangerous idea before. Now it was simply her life.

It had only been four days.

The menu stated the time was 16:43, which gave her just enough time to turn in one last quest before heading to the «Military Encampment» to turn in «Princess Astoria's» delivery. Rounding a corner near the town center – and taking a brief moment to admire the central fountain, of course – Sierra arrived at a rather fanciful and quite large private residence. She knocked heavily on the door and a butler greeted her, bowing deeply.

"I have Mr. Parsch's, uh," Sierra paused, grimacing, "_Ointment_."

The butler's eyes went wide and he bowed again, this time even deeper. He ushered her inside to a marble tile waiting room. Paintings hung on the walls – not particularly good paintings, but paintings nonetheless. The butler hurried off.

The waiting room had wowed her the first time she'd entered several days earlier. Now it seemed overtly gaudy and excessive. Mr. Parsch was Tolbana's resident egomaniac; his quests had much more to do with his vanity than anything else. Prior to obtaining a set of anti-rash ointment from an apothecary in «Starting City», she had been entrusted to delving into an ancient mossy ruin in the middle of the «Meandering Forest» to find a rare snake. Sierra proceeded to kill this ancient and mystical snake to supply Mr. Parsch with a new set of top-end snake-skin slippers.

But whatever. He paid well.

"Ah, Sierra! Thank the gods you're here," Mr. Parsch entered the waiting chamber with a flourish, his arms outstretched into the air. He was dressed in a loose cotton bathrobe and numerous rings adorned his fingers.

"Mr. Parsch!" Sierra smiled a fake smile. The man was repulsive even if he was an NPC.

"So you've reconsidered my offer, have you?" Mr. Parsch grinned, taking Sierra's hands in his own, "As one of my concubines, you'll be paid marvelously. You'll have a private-"

"No, no," Sierra pulled her hands away, "I'm here with your ointment."

"Ah, that," The man went pale, extending a hand carefully, "Uh, well, give it here, then."

Sierra grinned as she handed it over, saying, "You may wish to end your midnight escapades with the mayor's wife, considering that's what caused all this. If he finds out about you two an embarrassing rash is going to be the last of your worries."

"That's quite enough, thank you!" Mr. Parsch grabbed the ointment, ushering her towards the door, "Mr. Edwards, please be sure that Miss Sierra is paid for her services. I must be off."

And just like that, the very small and very embarrassed rich man disappeared.

Soon enough, Sierra found herself standing outside again, breathing in the afternoon air of «Tolbana» two hundred Col richer. She almost had enough for a top-end scimitar now. Or maybe she should pick a secondary weapon like how Hikari had a bow?

Her quests now complete, Sierra made her way towards the center of town again. Yuuki and her companion already had nearly an hour head start, so catching up with them would be impossible. Sierra shrugged. Oh well. The empty road was pleasant enough.

In the central courtyard, players chattered and talked and exchanged information. She thought she saw a blonde in a brown cape trying to wring some information out of another player but she was so far unsuccessful at it. Birds chirped in the air. Crickets buzzed their lonely yet lively songs. There were even dogs barking somewhere distant, though she'd yet to find any dogs in the game itself. Everything was cool and quiet, as if the chaos and heartbreak of «Starting City» was remote. In a way, Sierra felt as if those dreary days were all a distant memory. A half-forgotten falsehood.

And so Sierra kicked up her feet, turned herself in the direction of the «Military Encampment», and was off. Another adventure awaited her ahead. It was just down the road.

* * *

**Hikari – Floor 1 – December 5, 2022 – 17:53**

Snow drifted lightly over the «Military Encampment». Rows and rows of white tents set up atop a small plateaued hill, the sides of it fortified with sharpened logs and makeshift dirt walls. NPC soldiers patrolled regularly and there were many players here interspersed among them. The best of the original ten thousand, or so she'd often hear it told. Everyone here had seen combat. Hikari walked among the rows of tents, absently looking about for the Princess's tent.

"Oh!" Hikari turned towards a familiar young man. Klein's back was turned to her and he was walking between a few rows of tents towards the «Military Encampment's» center. "Kl-"

She stopped, noticing the girl walking next to him. She had long brown hair and was turned halfway towards him, a wide smile on her face. There was a hint of a blush on her cheeks, a dash of redness that told Hikari everything she needed to know. Klein was smiling, rubbing the back of his head nervously as the two talked.

"Nah, Yuuki that was just a Sentinel!" He laughed, "Not really much to it!"

"But you were amazing!" Yuuki replied, grabbing his hands with excitement, "Most of my friends have trouble killing those things!"

"Really, it's nothing," Klein's face was quickly turning red, his hand wrapped up in Yuuki's.

"I'll leave you two alone," Hikari said, giggling to herself.

Hikari kept walking, keeping an eye out for her goal. When she finally arrived, the impressive size of «Princess Asteria's» tent wowed her – and not for the first time. It was easily the size of a building. Guards patrolled the exterior and two were posted at the front with spears at the ready. Hikari strode out confidently, the reply from the «Starting City» garrison in hand. Considering this was the third delivery she'd had to make between the «Military Encampment» and «Starting City», she felt more than comfortable approaching the foreboding central command.

"Message for «Princess Asteria»," Hikari said, holding out the letter. One of the guards squinted, examining the image.

"This way, madam," The guard opened the tent flap, ushering her inside.

Within, the tent was splendid. Grand curtains fluttering down from above were complemented by bright colors and vibrant gold thread. Vases of rare flowers shone in ostentatious vases. «Princess Asteria», the «Moonlit Sword», reclined in a plush chair at the opposite end of the tent, kicking her feet into the air as several strapping and handsome young men massaged her. One was at her back, the other two rubbing her errant feet.

The Princess, Jewel of the People and Leader of the Armed Forces, was easily over four hundred pounds. Hikari doubted whether the woman could move at all, let alone lead an army. Hikari cringed in disgust. The fat princess looked over at her, flapping her balloon-like hands excitedly.

"Oh look! A messenger! A messenger!" Thick sausage-fingers waved at Hikari, beckoning her forward, "Back from Commander Garlocke with the reply?"

"Yes, your Majesty," Hikari kneeled, handing the message to one of the servants, who carried it regally over to the more-than plump princess.

"Read it to me, Salvius," The princess moaned the words out as one of the shirtless men rubbed her shoulders, their considerably well-muscled frames in sharp juxtaposition to the princess's round figure.

"Yes, your Highness!" The man Hikari had handed the letter off to saluted smartly, his right hand slamming into his forehead, "'To the Most Beautiful Princess Astoria, Light of the Kingdom and Jewel of the People, bearer of the Moonlit Sword, Commander of All the Land's Armies, Successor to Xeronas the Savior of Starting City, it is with pleasure that-"

"Princess!" A man slid open the tent flap quickly, panting heavily. It was a soldier, still outfitted in his uniform, "Urgent news from the front-lines! «Illfang the Kobold Lord» has been slain in combat! I teleported in just after the fight ended. The gates to the Above are opening!"

A ringing sounded in Hikari's menu as it opened in front of her. Bold words appeared in front of her screen, shining black in contrast to a stark white surrounding. Hikari felt her heart stop, her eyes barely registering the notification in front of her.

FLOOR ONE CLEARED

Hikari rushed outside, the fat princess and the military letter forgotten; the menu had indicated the main quest for the floor was completed anyway, so she no longer had a quest to complete. Among the military tents, players stood about staring at their menus. Some held their mouths agape. Others stared expressionless. All were silent.

But only for a moment.

When the dam broke, it broke fast. It started with a few players lifting their arms and shouting into the air. It escalated quickly, with people jumping about, slapping each other on the back. Fireworks were already being set off, even though it was barely sundown yet. Shouts and screaming, guards running everywhere. Astoria was screeching something but Hikari didn't care to hear her.

Hikari herself couldn't resist but to join in.

She found herself running among the gray tents, arms fully extended in the air and singing some half-remembered song from her youth. Floor one was cleared, floor one was cleared, floor one-

Hikari slammed into someone, knocking both them and herself off their feet. She slammed into the ground on her behind, unsure what happened. Her thoughts racing back into reality, she shook her head as she examined the person she ran into.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't lo-" The girl paused as Hikari locked eyes with her, the recognition setting in, "Hikari?"

"Sierra?"

The former non-player stood before her, outfitted in a separate set of leather armor than she'd had when they parted ways. Two scimitars hung at her belt and each seemed well-worn from use. Sierra's hair was dark with dirt, but nothing that seemed more than a day of farming would cause. Sierra stood quickly, helping Hikari to her feet.

"Hey! I didn't think we were going to meet up for a while!" Sierra grinned at her. Outside the alleyway, several players ran past screaming and cheering.

"Yeah, I didn't think so either," Hikari beamed, "You've taken well to the life of a player, it seems. I'm glad."

"It's dangerous," Sierra shrugged, "But so far it's been a lot better than being a non-player."

"Hey, uh," Hikari found herself blushing, stricken by the surprise of the moment, "You want to grab a drink? There's a place nearby we can go."

"Oh, uh, sure!"

"Good," Hikari beamed, "I know a place nearby."

The «Taphouse» was less of a house and more a collection of worn rags. It was a big tent with a wide entrance that covered several small tables and stools. The wooden furniture was dark and looked rotten, though Hikari wasn't really sure if they could break or not. The bar itself was manned by a tall, skinny NPC whose stern expression looked as if it could bore holes into steel. Several players lounged about, already drinking, though it seemed Sierra and Hikari had beat the rush.

"Heyo Sergio," Hikari grinned, sitting at the bar. Sierra joined her at her side, "Eventful day, huh?"

"Ay," Sergio mumbled, cleaning a glass, "«Illfang the Kobold Lord» is dead and our beautiful kingdom is saved. What'll it be?"

"Two pints, please," Hikari smiled as she ordered. Sergio nodded and walked off. Next to her, Sierra flinched heavily, turning to Hikari with an uncertain look on her face.

"Ne, Hikari," Sierra looked about the room quickly, "I'm not 20 for another year. I can't drink."

"Oh relax," Hikari waved her hand, "The NPCs in this game would sell alcohol to a 12-year-old. They don't care about age. Why would they, considering we're trapped in here against our will?"

"Ah," Sierra piped up again, "But this isn't real alcohol, is it? I mean, we're just lying down in hospitals. We're not actually drinking."

"It's all simulated. From my understanding, Kayaba Akihiko researched the neural map of a brain when a person is intoxicated and created sensory impulses in the game to replicate that effect. The result," Hikari nodded her thanks as Sergio returned with their drinks, "Is a pseudo-drunkenness that you get from drinking in-game. It's not quite the same thing; notably, you can't get absolutely smashed and it tops off at a point. Neither will you get alcohol poisoning and have to throw up."

"Huh," Sierra nursed her drink, sipping it uncertainly, "Are there any other substances in the game?"

"Tobacco is here, I know for certain," Hikari smirked, "That one was easy to implement, apparently. There are rumors of harder drugs, but so far I haven't seen any proof."

Behind them, several players barreled into the «Taphouse», ready and raring to get started drinking to celebrate the floor being cleared. They were loud, shouting and hollering jovially. From the fact that they were fully armored, they looked to be a cancelled hunting party.

"Hey, Pollux," One of the others nudged one of the bigger men in the group, "Why don't we head up to check out Floor 2 now that it's open?"

"Nah, Jacob," The big man, Pollux, shook his head, "We'd have to head back to «Starting City» to use the teleporter or cross the dungeon. Either way, it's a hassle. We're better off partying for now and heading up later."

"Excuse me, ladies," Another big man, who looked identical to Pollux except for differently colored hair, squeezed past Hikari and leaned over the counter, "Four pints, please."

Sergio nodded and the man retreated to his table. Sierra took a short sip of her beer, while Hikari downed a long gulp. She wiped away the foam on her upper lip, suddenly feeling a bit off.

"You know, Sierra, I wasn't sure what to expect," Hikari admitted, "I didn't know whether you'd keep at it or not. I was worried you'd just sell the equipment I gave you and go back to your life as a non-player. But now I can rest easy."

"I considered giving up," Hikari looked over at Sierra, "I almost did it, too. I had a large amount of money from the farmer's quest. I had weapons and armor I could sell. I'd be lying if I thought that it would be easier to just sell it all and blow my money on a few days of blissful life living in an inn."

"What stopped you?"

"After we parted ways, I was walking towards the «Black Iron Palace», debating whether I should go out hunting «Frenzy Boars» or just give up entirely now that I didn't have you to support me. I saw the line of people in front of the most popular daily quest NPC. It was backed up around the corner and several people were fighting near the front," Sierra laughed, though it felt empty, "Apparently someone tried to initiate the long-winded explanation of the war and a couple other non-players got pissed and beat him up. There were even NPC guards coming in to break up the fight and everything.

"I guess that I realized I used to be a part of that rabble. I would have been pushed aside while someone else leapt into the fray to beat the crap out of somebody. And maybe I would have wound up in one of those alleyways, begging for money or selling myself for just a little bit of food. I realized I didn't want to go back. So I swallowed my fear and went out hunting instead."

Hikari was silent for a long while. There were glimmers of wetness at the edge of Sierra's vision, but the young woman wiped them away quickly. Hikari felt her heart hurt, not only at Sierra's story, but also from a memory a month distant. A memory that Sierra had called to her.

"Can I tell you a story, Sierra?" Hikari turned towards the bar, suddenly feeling very odd. In the corner of her vision, she saw Sierra nod. She continued, "In the early days of the game, I was just like you. I spent the first night just wandering about, unsure what to do. I thought that maybe the police would find Kayaba and bring him to justice and we'd all be let out. I thought it was just a lie and that at any point I'd just wake up and find out it was all a dream, or a joke, or something.

"It was the morning of the second day when I met Archaeus. I had been crying in the door of some bakery somewhere in «Starting City». I hadn't left the city since the announcement. He asked me for my name and whether I needed any help. I said I was fine, but I'm pretty sure my red face told him otherwise. He was outfitted in some of the «Beginner's Plate Armor» with a tall tower shield and a long spear. Even with his dorky nose and acne, he looked… invincible.

"He wanted to take me out hunting to get me used to the game, much the same way I did to you, Sierra. I agreed and we fought some «Frenzy Boars». He even showed me how to complete the «Pignapped!» quest, which is when I found out he was a beta tester. Instead of leaving me, we stuck together for the rest of that day and the day after.

"I found out a lot about him in those early few days. He was in college, studying to be an architect, though his grades weren't the greatest. He lived alone in a private apartment and was in-between jobs. No friends, apparently, but he said that was fine since his online life was vibrant and sociable. Even trapped in the game, he felt as if everything would be okay. He gave me hope.

"On the third day, he started feeling strange. He was constantly drinking water, but he said he constantly felt parched now. After a long hunt, he collapsed in the field and I had to drag him back to the city. I spent the rest of the day nursing him in the inn, but all he would do was moan and sleep, complaining he needed water when he was awake. I didn't know what was going on.

"It was the end of the fourth day when it happened. I lay a cool compress on his forehead to try and keep him comfortable and was leaning him forward, trying to get him to drink some water. He looked fine, physically. His avatar did, at least. Just as I was about to drip some water down his throat, he mumbled something and went still. I tried shaking him, thinking he fell asleep, but he wouldn't wake up. A moment later, his body disappeared, a «Connection Lost» notice showing up."

Hikari hadn't realized it, but she was openly weeping now. The memory, though a month distant, was fresh and stark in her mind. She still saw his half-open mouth while lying on the bed unmoving. Even more, she saw the shocked expression on his face at the end of the second day, when Hikari had worked up the nerve to kiss him. She remembered his nervous laugh, but then the uncertain but determined way he kissed her back.

"It took me a long time to figure out what happened," Hikari continued, "Ten thousand players were trapped in this game. It only makes sense that a couple were forgotten by the authorities. Those with no families, no friends, especially. The police were bound to lose just a few. Not everyone could be brought to a hospital in time. Perhaps he was a name accidentally crossed off a list or maybe they just weren't fast enough.

"He died of thirst."

Hikari buried her head in her hands, sobbing quietly into them. All around her, more people were filing in to the «Taphouse» to celebrate the victory over «Illfang». Only Sierra had noticed she was crying, her body shaking.

"I didn't even know his real name."

For a short moment, Hikari felt foolish. Here she was, crying in front of a woman she barely knew, a woman who had undoubtedly faced hardship worse than she had. But then Sierra slipped from her bar stool, gently pulling Hikari into standing up.

The taller woman wrapped Hikari in an embrace, holding her tight as Hikari cried into Sierra's shoulder. The two women were largely ignored by the boisterous and inebriated crowd of the bar, though Hikari knew that wouldn't last long. After a moment, Hikari broke away from Sierra, wiping her eyes.

"Sorry," Hikari mumbled, "I didn't mean to get like that."

"It's okay," Sierra looked around the bar, "Why don't we take a walk instead?"

Hikari nodded and Sierra led her outside, holding her hand tight. Players were still partying in the streets, though most had retreated to find places to sit down and drink or chat or otherwise celebrate. Sierra had laced her fingers through Hikari's, walking with her side-by-side along the lines of tents.

"I really didn't mean to cry," Hikari cringed, staring at the ground, "I just-"

"Take a look at this," Sierra said, smiling.

They had stopped along one of the entrenchments at the edge of the «Military Encampment». It was one of the raised platforms where someone could look out over the lines of sharpened trunks and trenches. Hikari felt her breath catch.

All of the first floor stretched out below her. In the valley below, she could see one road as it led down towards «Tolbana». Brilliant white snow gave way to fields of flowers and wheat. Further down, the fields starkly contrasted the beginnings of the «Meandering Forest», which looked more like a thin band of trees from here. To her right, the trees thickened and the small town of «Horunka» was nestled at base of a small mountain. There, the forest was dark and low.

Behind the mountain, the sun was beginning to set, casting vibrant shadows over the whole of the first floor. «Starting City» was already coated in darkness. Even from this distance she could see bright lights in the windows of the city as it hugged the opposite end of the floor. Layers and layers of hills and fields separated «Starting City» from the «Meandering Forest».

She could see the whole of everything on the floor. The floor that had trapped them for a month, which they had finally cleared. Their prison was open, but only just. If only Archaeus could see her now, staring down at their whole world for the last month.

"This is only the beginning, Hikari," Sierra spoke, their hands gripped tight together, "It may be a long road ahead, but we have hope. We have a chance. Even if it takes us ten years, we can get out. Both of us will."

"Sierra…"

"So," Sierra smiled, grabbing Hikari's other hand, "Why don't we check out the second floor?"


	12. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **Lux and Philia are both characters from SAO spin-offs (Girls Op! and Hollow Fragment respectively). Additionally, I edited my earlier chapters to reflect that Ran is the leader of Sleeping Knights and Yuuki is her second.

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**David – Floor 49 – January 28, 2024 – 18:20**

"There it is," Lux hissed at him, her thin lips pursing as she spoke. David almost reeled with surprise from hearing her voice. In the last month he'd spent in hiding with the girl, that one sentence doubled the amount of words she had spoken.

They both perched atop the branch of a tall tree and stared down at the wagon trekking through the forest. The NPC driver chatted amiably with the guard captain walking alongside the cart with one hand held absently on an ornate longsword. His bright armor shone intermittently as light snaked through the thousands of breaks in the leaf cover above.

Lux drew her crossbow, readying herself. David drew his bow as well after slipping on his skull mask. The bones were hard and ice-cold, the dank feeling of wearing them seeming to weigh down on him. If the slender blonde girl next to him felt any discomfort from her own mask, she didn't show it.

David looked out at the tree line of the opposite side of the road. He thought he saw something moving, but in a moment the flash of white was gone. He shook his head, focusing on the task at hand.

One of the horses neighed, tossing its head as it passed over a thin layer of snow. The cart driver snapped his reins to keep the horses focused. Lux jabbed a finger into David's shoulder painfully, then pointed at the opposite side of the road when she had his attention.

Two of the guards were wearing the gold and silver of the «Whitewood Watch», one of the clearing guilds. One was dressed in leathers and sported an ornate, flashy cape. A bow was slung over his shoulder, and he was flirting shamelessly with a blushing young NPC woman. The other was stoic and solid, with «Light Metal Armor» that was obviously worn from use. A longsword hung at his belt.

"You're right, Lux," David started, understanding what had panicked the young girl. "They're clearers. I had expected a tough fight, but this may test our mettle. Be careful."

The girl nodded as she cranked back her crossbow, the sound quieted by her high «Stealth» skill. David nocked an arrow and waited for the signal from the Tank. He thought he saw movement in the bushes across the road. XaXa? Or was it Philia?

The signal was obvious enough. The Tank simply stepped out onto the road in front of the caravan, one hand lazily over his shoulder on the shaft of his flamberge. Upon seeing him, the horse driver pulled back on the reins, stopping the horses quickly. The guard captain narrowed his eyes in suspicion, tightening his grip on his longsword.

"I think you can already tell what I am," The Tank lazily pointed up at his orange cursor, "so let's make this easy, okay? You-"

The Tank was abruptly caught off guard as the captain charged, his longsword out in a moment. David swore, shifting his target from the clearers to the captain. He released an arrow just as Lux fired her crossbow, both projectiles burying themselves in the seams of the captain's armor. The captain faltered in his charge, falling heavily. With a laugh, the Tank brought his greatsword down on the now-defenseless man, decapitating him quickly. He shattered.

At this point, the clearers had their weapons out but weren't moving. The attractive one had his face pinched up in fury, but the other was holding him back. Philia and XaXa were on the road behind the cart, cutting them off.

"Can't we do this a bit more easily?" The Tank whined, shouldering his weapon. His midnight-black plate armor seemed to mesh with the shadows of the trees around him. He sauntered back to the middle of the road.

One of the «Whitewood Watch» muttered something to the driver, whose eyes were wide with panic. In a burst of terror, the man snapped his reins, forcing his horses to charge. Their eyes went wide with confusion as they struggled to fall into a gallop. David swore, nocking another arrow. They were already a hundred feet away, past the Tank.

David got off two arrows before Lux started loading her second bolt. All three sunk into the legs of the horses as they passed below. Both fell mightily, the bulk of the carriage sliding up and over them. Blood mixed with mud as the horses were crushed by the weight of the heavy wagon behind them. Both driver and his female passenger went flying out into the muck and David abandoned his perch. He alighted on the ground, taking off at a run towards the NPCs. If they got away…

Out of the corner of his eye, David caught the Tank rushing up to help Philia and XaXa handle the clearers. They were skilled players, but nobody fought well outnumbered. Up ahead, the two NPCs were barely beginning to register what had happened. The girl had rolled over onto her back, her eyes moving erratically, indicating her head was spinning. The man was struggling to stand.

David shouldered his bow, drawing his katana. He ran the man through the back just as he stood, the blade puncturing him just left of his spine. He felt the blade piece his heart and blood poured from the wound fast and hard. David twisted the blade before pushing the man forward and drawing his weapon out of him. A boot to the back sent the dying man back into the mud. Blood mixed with what little snow slush remained.

He grabbed the young woman's hair, dragging her roughly to her feet. She screamed, her arms batting at him uselessly. David narrowed his eyes at her, pausing as she struggled in vain to get out of his grip. She clawed and bit and scratched, but the damage to his health was minimal and he couldn't feel the pain. Eventually she noticed she had no effect and stopped, staring at David with wide, panicked eyes.

David sighed, hanging his head just for a moment. There could be no witnesses.

His katana entered upwards under her rib cage, punching through to the other side easily. The girl let out a strangled cry, her young face twisting in pain. She gripped his shoulders, falling against him as he let go of her. Her heavy breathing gave way to bloody coughing as she slid to the ground.

David stared down at the girl as she bled out. Her head was tilted to the side, her breath coming in short bursts that were slowing with every repetition. Blood welled up from her body, but even that would slow soon. Her face was pale and delicate. Briefly, David ignored the sounds of fighting behind him, wondering instead what her name was, who her family was. Whoever her parents were, they wouldn't be seeing their little girl again.

Just an NPC, he told himself.

The sunset swordsman, covered in blood, struggled to feel much of anything.

"Look out!" David turned quickly as he heard the panicked cry. He pivoted just as a scimitar flashed into his vision, a small man charging at him.

Lux jumped in front of him, drawing her dagger and parrying the blow quickly. Her second dagger arced up and around her assailant's scimitar, driving deep under the side of the man's ribcage. He staggered backwards as Lux's poison took immediate effect. He batted at his eyes, suddenly terrified.

David cringed. It was a hallucinogenic poison, one XaXa had cooked up not too long ago. The effects were short, but devastating. Now completely defenseless, Lux sliced through the man's weapon-hand, disarming him. She brought her arm back, ready to slash his throat and end the fight.

"No," David grabbed the girls' wrist. She stared up at him, confused. David shook his head.

After a brief pause, considering the short clearer, he slit the man's throat himself, pushing the player backwards. David cringed as he began to bleed out in a fit of mad quivering on the ground. Lux shot him an annoyed glance. David sighed, "You don't need to get your hands dirty."

He surveyed the battlefield. XaXa, Philia and the Tank had already taken out the rest of the «Whitewood Watch» members, the last of them shattering into a frantic spray of blue polygons. With both of the NPCs dead as well, the raid was successful. David sheathed his katana, ushering Lux over towards the rest of their group. The young girl stared overlong at the corpses of the NPCs before silently following him, her step light and sprightly.

"A decent fight," XaXa mumbled, looking over the wreckage of the cart and the two dead bodies. "The clearers never were easy targets, but surround them and outnumber them and anyone will go down."

"Are either of you hurt?" David asked, directing his question at the two fellow «Laughing Coffin» members. XaXa shook his head, but gestured at Philia.

"She took a pretty heavy stab to the leg," XaXa shrugged. "Looks like he landed a «Bleeding» effect, so we probably shouldn't stay here long." XaXa smiled at the blonde-haired girl, who glanced at him in response as she sheathed her ridged dagger.

"I'll be fine," Philia grunted. "I'm not so fragile that «Bleeding» can take me out. I've got potions."

"Looks like this caravan's goods are trash," The Tank called from the ruined wagon, shaking his head as he spoke, "Why the fuck would they guard a useless thing like this?"

David walked over, responding «Yes» to a prompt asking him if he wanted to search the wagon. A list of items appeared in front of him. Low level weapons and armor, certain potions and a couple of outdated maps they didn't particularly need. He paused over one item in particular.

It was labelled the «Godstone». He materialized it, and a small golden rock appeared in his hand. It was roughly the size of his small red ball, but quite a bit heavier. It didn't look to be made of any particular metal, but the menu indicated the item had a «Base Value» of 5 Col. It wouldn't sell for anything.

"What about this?" David held the stone up to the Tank, who shook his head.

"Impressive name, but with a «Base Value» that low, I doubt it's useful," the Tank shrugged, "Keep it if you want."

David dematerialized the item, adding it to his inventory. David turned around, looking over his small group of murderers that he had shared the previous month hiding with. Lux, Philia, XaXa, and the Tank. XaXa was rubbing his neck nervously as he chatted absently with Philia, who was barely responding. The Tank was already walking into the forest towards their distant campsite. Lux stared back at him, no expression on the girl's face.

"Let's get back," David said as he passed by her, placing his head on her head and ruffling her hair. Already he felt the familiar weariness bearing down on him, a tired feeling that never seemed to go away anymore.

All around him, the world seemed just a shade darker.

It was a long journey back; the attack was on the opposite side of the floor and they had to dance around the centrally-positioned main town of the floor. Myujen rose dark and tall in the distance, its major gothic cathedral dominating the skyline even from a few miles outside the town. The group of orange players moved carefully through the forest, each one on the lookout for bounty hunters or clearers.

When they finally returned to their campsite – a lonely overhang of rock amidst the deepest part of the forest and not too far from the floor edge – David and the rest of his band was exhausted. Even the Tank had stopped talking, trading his acidic and virulent barbs with grunts of displeasure and miffed silence.

The smoke from the campfire was thin and barely visible, thanks to XaXa's high «Survivalism» skill. Earlier in the month, the small band of assassins and murderers had to be extremely careful about when they allowed themselves to light a fire, in case it led unwanted visitors to them. Now, it was a fairly simple task. Their month of seclusion had led to an odd use of skills David had never thought useful before. «Cooking», «Fishing», and «Survivalism» were the big ones.

David looked around at his assigned group, the people he'd spent the last month hiding with. PoH had insisted that each of the cells that formed the original «Laughing Coffin» were shuffled to increase group cohesion. Better that than further segregate the already disparate elements that formed «Laughing Coffin» by forcing the familiar pockets of raiders and hunters to hide with people they already knew. Lux, Philia, XaXa, and the Tank huddled with him around the fire, struggling to keep the cold out of their cloaks and the warmth in their hearts.

Lux. David felt his eyes draw to her again. She was young – far younger than he would have expected from a member of «Laughing Coffin» – with long blonde hair and what seemed to be a consistently dark expression. Briefly he wondered what circumstances could have possibly brought the girl into PoH's fold. He supposed the same could be said of Philia or XaXa; he didn't know their full stories or how they fell into the player-killing guild, but those two were adults. Their decisions were their own.

Lux was just a kid, barely old enough for high school, if even that.

A kid putting poison on her weapons and slashing throats. David felt himself shudder, but said nothing. If Lux noticed him looking at her, she didn't react. Instead she stared at the fire, watching the dance of the virtual flames as they played about in the cold mist of the coming night. Snow was beginning to fall now, the flakes fizzling out as the heat of the fire met them.

David opened his menu, thumbing through to the «Private Messaging» area. He paused over Lyra's name and the last message he'd sent her was brought up. It was an innocuous little thing, a simple question she hadn't answered because she met up with him not too long after that. It was dated December 28, 2023, a lifetime and a month ago.

_'What did you feel like eating tonight?'_

David opened the messaging menu, the blank slate taunting him. Lyra's name shone at the top in the «Destination» section, all at once familiar and strange. He pressed the screen and a virtual keyboard appeared in front of him, and David began to type.

_'Hey Lyra. It's been a month. How'_

He erased it all, clenching his fists. He started again, his hands alighting the keyboard as a fresh page of white appeared before him. It was pure and white and empty, but his hands remained idle, his thoughts remained unsaid.

"David, hey," He looked up, surprised to see the Tank glaring at him from across the campfire, "You paying attention?"

"Evidently not," David murmured, closing his menu. "What's up?"

"PoH's looking to call for another meeting in a few days, once all of our bounties wear off," the Tank said. "On the front lines, to boot. The bastard's mad. He's looking to have us meet right in the heart of Algade."

"They're still on the fiftieth floor?" Philia asked, surprised, "It's been nearly three weeks since they cleared floor 49."

"PoH was telling me before that floor 50 is the hardest since floor 25," XaXa's quiet voice was barely audible from where David sat, "and there's been rumors of infighting among the clearers, not to mention our little stunt causing most players in the game to start having trouble sleeping at night."

David leaned back on his hands, staring out from under the rock overhang at the black night sky far, far above. No stars tonight, it was too cloudy. Perhaps that was a good thing. He didn't know if he could take seeing something beautiful just yet.

He opened his menu, staring at the blank private messaging screen again. Lyra's name shone in the dark, boring into his skull. His fingers hovered above the virtual keyboard as he considered it. Minutes passed and nothing came to mind. Finally, David closed the menu.

There was nothing left to say.

* * *

**Argo****– Floor 50 – January 28, 2024 – 20:14**

"I repeat," Heathcliff's voice was like a hammer slamming down to silence the frantic and rushed chatter filling the meeting hall, "the «Council» has several extremely important issues to handle tonight. It is not wise to waste time chattering."

"Ah, Heathcliff," Ran, leader of the «Sleeping Knights», raised a hand gently. "Why are we prioritizing this investigation into «Laughing Coffin» over our difficulties with this floor? We should be discussing how to–"

"We've had a band of player killers terrorizing the front lines over the past month and you want to focus on something else?" Heathcliff growled, "There has been no progress in finding the dungeon. Would you like to sit around and talk about how we've accomplished nothing on this floor?"

Ran fell silent and Argo noted how many people shifted under Heathcliff's mighty gaze. The leaders of all the clearing guilds were crammed into this space. While the meeting hall was large and ornate, so many powerful players together in one place made Argo twitch with discomfort. Most of the leaders' seconds and lieutenants were present as well. No other guild members were allowed, and no outside representatives were generally included.

The meeting hall itself was centrally located in «Algade», placed in a corner of the massive city hall that dominated the downtown area. The NPC mayor's office was here as well, alongside the economic and development planning offices. Most of them were bloated and corrupt, as per this floor's main quest, which had so far stumped the clearers. A long table ran along the center of the room, with the thirty or so players all lined up in the many chairs. Argo stood with Heathcliff in the front, awkwardly staring at them all.

Argo had never seen the inside of a «Council» meeting before. Technically, she wasn't even a clearer, though she could probably take on some of the front-line floor monsters with a party. Heathcliff gestured over to her and Argo felt herself go numb for a moment.

"This… information broker," Heathcliff spoke the title hesitantly, "has been working with the «Publishing Guild» and several other groups in digging up information about the mass killing last month. I've called her here today to get everyone up to speed with the ongoing efforts to respond to the threat that this new «Laughing Coffin» guild represents. Argo, would you please?"

He gestured at his podium as he stepped away. Argo clung to the thing quickly, staring at the myriad of faces. Distrustful, curious, uncertain, empty. All those emotions directed at her. None were disinterested. These were the most powerful and influential people in «Sword Art Online», and Argo had their rapt attention.

"Uh, well," Argo stumbled over her words, uncertain where to begin, "I have been investigating into the-"

"Could you speak up?" A young woman near the back of the table spoke up, her uniform making it obvious that she was Heathcliff's second. "I can barely hear you back here."

"Ah, yes, sorry!" Argo raised her voice. "I have been investigating into the murders of 25 of the 27 members of the «Eternal Brotherhood», as well as the disappearances of six members of the «Divine Dragon Alliance». What-"

"25 members of the «Eternal Brotherhood»?" Klein asked, his shaggy ginger hair plainly visible among the mass of brown and black hair. "The news only reported 19 deaths."

"I am treating the earlier disappearance of Yūta, a raid leader for the «Brotherhood», as related to the New Year's incident," Argo explained, tapping her finger on the podium. "Earlier today the «Death Registry» was updated to show that he and his raid group were slain by the «Griffon», a raid boss on the 43rd floor. I think that-"

"How do you know they weren't just killed by the boss?" Ran piped up. Her voice was soft and serene, but betrayed a subtle, biting tone. Her long brown hair fell around a soft smile. Argo felt a twinge of annoyance at her question. She didn't enjoy people doubting her research.

"A similar incident occurred in November to a farming group on Floor 42," Argo clenched her free first around the side of the podium as Ran stared impassively at her. "Several members of the «Divine Dragon Alliance» were slain in the «Lost Forest». Although when their names were added to the registry, their leader, RedSCAR, was missing. He is currently presumed dead."

"Maybe he just turned tail and ran from his crap guild," Ran, the leader of the «Sleeping Knights» shrugged. "The «DDA» have about as many friends as they have brain cells. Anyone could have killed them, and RedSCAR might not even be dead."

"I highly doubt-" Argo started, but Lind interrupted her.

"The «DDA» aren't like your band of terminal brats, Ran," Lind shot at the slim girl, whose sneer fell into a shocked repulsion. Her second, a petite little thing by the name of Yuuki, stared at Lind in shock. "My people are proud and _able-bodied_. We don't abandon our own."

"Terminal…" Ran recovered from her surprise quickly, her tone adopting a virulent tone, though she maintained her soft timbre. "Well, it's not my guild mates that are curling up and dying to «Death Riders». Those things are, what, level 40? A toddler could fight one."

"Remind me again why nobody in your guild have a «Demon's Talon»?" Lind shrugged. "Oh right, because your clan is still off fighting those worthless «Drone Lords» when everyone else has figured out they don't drop shit."

"Well," Ran's voice dropped slightly, and Yuuki adopted a panicked expression, "I'm not surprised there are people who want to put you thieves on the block. Your guild has been harassing–"

"You know, Ran," Lind's pitch rose, "I could give you a bit of harassment right here and now that would leave you begging for more!" Lind smirked, miming a couple thrusting motions. His second cracked up laughing, elbowing Lind in the side. "Although I've heard you're the frigid one of the family. I'd rather get at your cute little sister Yuuki, am I right, Klein?"

"I don't…" Klein raised his arms suddenly, surprised. "What?"

Yuuki slammed her hands on the table, "You disgusting–"

"ENOUGH!" Heathcliff stamped his foot, the impact echoing around the room and drowning out both of the guild leaders. Everyone's focus instantly shifted to the leader of the «Knights of the Blood», whose expression was a cool mask over an obvious fury. Slowly, under his gaze, the two errant leaders sunk back into their seats. "Personal issues between guilds are not important. We have people who were _murdered_, and you two want to fight over nonsense?"

Argo nodded her thanks to Heathcliff, who stared out into the meeting hall. Even the broker felt a heavy weight pressing against her as the man examined them all. He seemed straight out of a medieval war movie. Strong, defined features complimented a toned body that was evident even when he was wearing town clothes. As always, his very presence command a respect that none of the other leaders seemed to possess.

He was like a father looking down at disruptive children.

"Thank you, Heathcliff," Argo nodded towards him again, and he motioned for her to continue. "I have looked into several factors in the month since the murders took place. As some of you are not aware, I had been working with the «Divine Dragon Alliance» since December to investigate the deaths in his clan," Argo waited for Ran to jump in with some quip, but the brown-haired swordswoman was silent, "and was contacted by Heathcliff to expand my investigation to aid in the «Council's» understanding of the event. Barring any further interruptions, I can report my findings over the last month. I was working closely with Kirito, a solo player some of you may know."

A few scowls, a few blank stares, and a few thoughtful nods. Interestingly, Klein smiled at that bit of information, but Yuuki seemed impassive, if not irritated. As those two players seemed to be of one mind about nearly every issue in the past – and given the well-known close working relationship between «Fuurinkazan» and the «Sleeping Knights» – Argo had expected them to have similar opinions about the oft-abrasive soloer. Ran remained silent as the grave.

"Only two usernames are known from the attack on the 35th floor, as those were the only usernames revealed to Pollux, one of the survivors. I have tried to track down Hikari, the other survivor, but with no success thus far. She may know other usernames," Argo cringed at that. Even though she was being tracked by an information broker, Hikari seemed to have vanished in the last month. Argo had no way of finding her. "PoH, who Pollux surmised to be the leader, is a skilled single-dagger user. I have found no other information regarding that man aside from the handful of murders directly attributed to him on the «Death Registry».

"On the other hand, Kaoru was the farm owner who was responsible for lending out the building the «Eternal Brotherhood» used for the party. After speaking with Pollux, Kaoru is now under suspicion for having worked with «Laughing Coffin» to set up the ambush. Heathcliff," Argo nodded towards the towering man, "Would you mind bringing him in?"

Heathcliff gestured for his second to help him. Asuna was a young woman with long, chestnut hair. Alternatively known as the Flash, Argo thought. She hadn't met the woman in person before, but she'd heard many things about the beautiful young woman. Most were rumors about an illicit relationship with Heathcliff, who was obviously decades the girl's senior.

Even so, Argo kept it in mind. Every interaction between the many leaders here was crucial. Every bit of information among these people could spell life or death, profit or loss. It was difficult to pay attention to so many pieces of data at once, but she tried her best.

What exactly was the nature of Klein and Yuuki's friendship? Was it romantic? Were their guilds in an effective alliance, or did Ran keep things independent? Was the conflict between the «DDA» and the «Sleeping Knights» reparable? And what about the other guilds? The «Whitewood Watch», the «Fuumaningun». What were their roles here, not being the most outspoken or most well-known clearers?

Argo watched it all carefully, struggling to make sense of their politics.

From outside the meeting hall, Heathcliff directed Asuna and another «KoB» member to drag inside a man whose hands were bound behind his back. A rag was stuffed into his mouth and his expression was dark and downcast. He was a scruffy, probably about as old as Klein, and his hair was matted and dirty.

Argo wasn't sure what to feel upon seeing the murderer. She felt no rage and no disgust, merely discomfort. Asuna and the other «KoB» member tossed him at Heathcliff's feet, where he struggled to stand.

"This is Kaoru, the farm owner," Argo explained, turning back to the «Council». "He's the only other name we currently know of the «Laughing Coffin» members. His cursor is green because he did not actually take part in the killings, instead plotting with PoH in exchange for a large sum of Col." Argo stopped, considering the prisoner, and her tone became softer. "Kaoru, would you mind telling them what you told Heathcliff and I earlier?"

The man shuffled around as Asuna dragged him to his feet. Argo couldn't help but notice the Flash's conflicted look as he was brought to standing. Uncertainty seemed to claw at her even as she pushed the man around roughly.

"Kaoru?" Argo asked, raising an eyebrow. The man cleared his throat, staring around the room suspiciously.

"I… I was approached by a man in a cloak in December. Said he had heard about me through a mutual acquaintance," The farm owner's voice was scratchy and weak, but there was a certain fire to it that Argo couldn't explain, some zeal she didn't understand. "He was gonna give me the funds to purchase a farmhouse on the 35th floor. I could use it however I wanted. In exchange, I had to help him out if he ever needed it. Like, using the house as a hideout or renting it out to a target. I never had any contact with him outside that."

"Why would you let PoH set a prisoner free if that would lead us back to you?" Ran's soft voice reached him from her perch in the middle of the meeting hall. Her gaze was focused and she was obviously thinking hard about something.

"I didn't know," Kaoru swallowed. "I was under the impression that PoH was gonna kill them all and there'd be no trail. When I found out what had happened, I ran and hid. As you can see, that didn't work."

Kaoru fell silent, and the room seemed to stare at Argo expectantly.

"I… uh…" She stumbled over her words. "He's been unwilling to talk beyond saying that. We've gotten no names and no other information from him. If anyone has any suggestions on how to make him open up, I'm all ears."

"Beat it out of him," Lind waved his hands. "That's one way to do it."

Argo nearly laughed at the absurdity of Lind's joke, but she stopped herself. Ran was glaring at Lind again.

"Of course you'd recommend violence," Ran shot at the man. "Perhaps a brute like you would think torture is a proper course of action, but-"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Another man spoke up, the soft-spoken and cloaked leader of the «Fuumaningun». His eyes shone bright and blue under his hood. "This isn't a game where we can afford to be nice and friendly to our prisoners. Kaoru is a murderer. He should be treated as such."

"Laughing Coffin isn't an officially designated guild, right?" Lind smirked, throwing a side glance to Ran. "For all we know, they could have spies in this room right now. Wouldn't it be better to find out for sure?"

"Even so," Klein started hesitantly. "Torture?"

"Lind says it as a joke, but what if he's right?" said another man, the leader of the «Legend Braves». He was a big, European man with wide blue eyes and stark blonde hair. "What if «Laughing Coffin» really was in here with us? I certainly don't want any traitors in our midst."

"Who said there are?" Ran replied. "What exactly would you call a traitor, anyway?"

"Those who go against our authority," the leader of the «Fuumaningun» stated simply.

"But–"

"It's clear that we will need to take this to a vote," Heathcliff's low voice rumbled, drawing the eye of every face in the room.

Each of the thirty or so heads turned towards him, the representatives of most of the fifteen other clearing guilds enraptured by the leader of the «KoB». Lind glowered under Heathcliff's gaze, staring away in what seemed like a deliberate attempt to disrespect the man.

"What's there to vote about?" Yuuki started, her voice light with worry. "Tell me we're not seriously considering hurting him?"

The room was quiet, all eyes roaming about and waiting for someone to speak up. Argo shifted on her feet uncomfortably. This wasn't what she came here to do; she was just supposed to report facts! What the clearers did with it was their own concern. But even so…

All throughout the exchange Kaoru was dead quiet, staring at the floor. In this light, he seemed nothing more than a roughed-up young man. In any other situation, he would have appeared normal, ordinary. It was hard to believe he could have been an accomplice in murder, let alone a killer. Argo paused. The man hadn't even killed anybody, since his cursor was already green.

"I've posted the vote in the collective private message system," Heathcliff said, looking around the room. "Please indicate «Yes», «No», or «Abstain» as appropriate."

Several people opened their menus at once, while others were slower on the draw. Argo clenched her fists. True, Kaoru had been silent as the dead regarding any other information about the mass killings, but it was apparent he hadn't killed anyone himself. She wasn't sure if that made a difference.

The room was dead silent as people furrowed their brows and considered the poll in front of them. Argo looked at them all; the self-righteous huff from Lind as he made a decision quickly and decisively, the calm and tempered decision made slowly by the leader of the «Whitewood Watch», the imprecise working back and forth of the anxious leader of the «Spiritwalkers».

Kaoru, to his credit, did not beg and plead for anyone to press «No». He stood and stared, analyzing the faces of the clearers carefully. Knowing his enemies, perhaps? Argo carefully watched the reactions of the people in the room, trying to gauge the decisions they made. It could be useful later on to know how the most powerful players voted.

Heathcliff voted, but from Argo's vantage point she could clearly see him click «Abstain». A strange position to take for a man who seemed to guide the rest of the «Council». Heathcliff had a tendency to act as a mediator rather than a leader, from what she'd heard about him. He often played both sides and let the other guild leaders make decisions instead of forcing his opinion onto everyone else.

Definitely an odd man. Argo smirked. Maybe that's what Asuna saw in him?

After a couple more minutes, everyone had voted and Heathcliff pulled up the poll results. As he read it off, Argo felt her heart grow tight, and a couple people in the meeting hall gasped as a result. Heathcliff himself barely reacted.

"Of the sixteen guilds present, and assuming the absent two guilds abstain from this vote," Heathcliff started, his voice like a landslide waiting to break, "the total count comes to 6 «Yes», 5 «No», and «7» Abstain. The «Council» has therefore reached a decision. Kaoru will be tortured for the specific purpose of obtaining information on «Laughing Coffin»."

Kaoru hung his head, evidently trying hard to hide his fear. Despite the horrible things the man had done, was it really worth it? It had to be, of course. If nothing was done, «Laughing Coffin» would be free to terrorize even more people. Reports and rumors were already rolling in from the lower floors of other guilds being attacked, other robberies and murders.

"All that's left to do is decide who gets to do it," Lind smirked, leaning forward. "And I nominate myself. I want to hear that pig scream for what his friends did to RedSCAR and the rest of my boys." Lind turned to Argo, "And you, investigator, are going to help me."

* * *

**Lyra – Floor 50 – January 29, 2024 – 13:32**

The scimitar glimmered red as Hikari worked with it. She'd been training with it obsessively the last couple of days, completely foregoing the use of her greataxe in favor of the more nimble slashing weapon. Lyra sighed, sitting on the rock and observing her partner for the last month.

She was pretty, with long, curly brown hair and a short, athletic body. She was smart too; that much was made obvious whenever Lyra had a math question she needed answering. Pretty and smart, something Lyra found herself feeling more than a small measure of envy about. If they were both in high school, Lyra probably would have hated the girl.

Her only problem was that she was silent.

Whether they were hunting, doing quests, or otherwise journeying together, Hikari barely talked. If she did, the conversations were short and to-the-point. In a month of being around her, the girl might have stated only a handful of real sentences. The rest were short quips or sarcastic asides that were muttered more to herself than to Lyra. Lyra crossed her legs on the boulder, watching Hikari clean the blade with no small measure of fascination. At least she had stopped trying to off herself.

The corpse of the «Pale Tiger» lay at Hikari's feet, and she was busy cutting through its body with her scimitar. Lyra marveled at the sight, the precision in which she made her cuts, the skill with which she worked the blade. A month ago, Hikari had tried to show Lyra how to use skills to properly skin an animal, but she just couldn't handle the gore.

"Your «Harvesting» skill has gotten really high, huh?" Lyra said. "«Pale Tiger» skins can go for a lot of money. Lots of people want the exotic feel they give off."

Hikari grunted, rolling back the skin on its ribcage as she sliced away the connective tissue.

"You've gotten a lot better with the scimitar," Lyra ventured another thread of conversation. "Why'd you suddenly decide to switch from a great axe?"

Still nothing. Hikari kept skinning the rare animal, and Lyra sighed, giving up. She leaned back, spreading her body out over the long rock she'd been relaxing on. It was cool and smooth, contrasting with the bright, warm day that enveloped her. It had been a pleasant day of hunting on the front lines, fighting the many native animal-esque mobs on the floor.

Interestingly enough, there were no humanoid monsters on the floor, only beasts and animals. In addition to that, the mobs themselves weren't too difficult, so long as someone stayed away from the pack animals and raid bosses.

Yet the clearers were taking a very long time clearing the floor. Lyra opened her menu, pulling out her map of the floor. It was incomplete, with large areas still swamped with grey instead of given the detail that it needed, but the predominantly forest-covered floor was still mostly explored.

The dungeon was nowhere to be found.

"Done," Hikari said, standing. The corpse was stripped, the skin peeled off from the thing's body. Gore and bone in a roughly tiger-esque shape lay on the ground, waiting for the system to clear it away. Hikari herself stood straight, blood running up her hands and wrists and splattered on her face.

"Ready to get back to town?" Lyra jumped up cheerily, smiling at the woman who refused to smile back.

"Yeah."

The road back was bumpy, but not unpleasant. Lyra walked alongside her silent companion, struggling to keep a conversation going. After a few attempts that resulted in nothing more but grunts and half-hearted 'Yes' and 'No' answers, she gave up and focused on the scenery around her.

The landscape was heavily forested and hilly, with wide open space between large hills covered entirely with lush green. Strong, cobbled roads ran between the several villages on this floor, all leading back to «Algade», the walled city positioned towards the southern end of the floor.

Lyra hummed to herself as they walked back. Birds chirped overhead, but she couldn't help but notice that it was the same track of birds singing she'd heard on a lower floor somewhere. She couldn't quite place it. The game could dynamically generate quests, speech, and even entire characters, but it couldn't generate new and unique bird songs?

Lyra sighed at that.

"Say, Hikari, when we get back–" Lyra started.

A figure crashed through the underbrush of the forest near the path, falling down onto the road ahead of them all. Vibrant orange hair under a red hairband. He staggered to his feet, flipping around in a vain attempt to keep his balance. He spun as he fell onto his behind. Hikari stared blankly at the man as he reeled, trying to figure out what had happened.

"Klein?" She muttered, her eyes wide with surprise. The man looked up at her, confused for a moment before his expression went slack with recognition.

"Hikari?" Klein's head snapped back towards the forest and he jumped to his feet. "Just a moment."

A spear flew from the forest, clacking off the cobbled ground between Klein's feet. A man jumped onto the road, brandishing a mace and scowling furiously. Lyra stepped back, her hands running to her spear as she surveyed the battle. Klein smirked, his katana held confidently in front of him. The man with the mace charged, an ugly yell erupting from his equally displeasing facial features.

Klein spun around the strike, jabbing the butt of his katana into the man's side. He howled in pain. Klein twisted his body, slashing down across his back and sending a spray of blood into the air. Another slash and the man fell to the ground, twitching. Klein sighed, wiping his head with the back of his hand.

"Sorry about that," Klein chuckled awkwardly, squatting down and wiping his blade on the shirt of the dead man. Lyra noted the its red cursor, which indicated him as an enemy NPC. Even so, she felt a surge of illness as she stared down at the corpse.

"What are you doing out here?" Hikari asked, raising an eyebrow. Lyra looked at her in shock, beyond surprised at the woman's level of interest.

"Well, I _was _investigating a lead regarding this floor's main quest, but Yuuki and I got attacked by these bandits," Klein looked around, his jaw dropping as he realized something. "Oh crap! Yuuki!"

He jumped back into the forest just as quickly as he arrived, disappearing into the brush. Without wasting a breath, Hikari ran after him. Lyra stood in the middle of the road, uncertain what had happened.

She sighed. Might as well follow.

Tracing the man's path through the forest was easy enough. He certainly didn't care about anyone following him, and even Hikari's more careful weaving through the forest left a distinct trail. Lyra huffed with the effort of keeping up, struggling with the effort of keeping Hikari within sight. They were tracing a direct path up the hill, and if Lyra was right, Klein had just fallen down this steep slope moments before.

She emerged from the forest shortly after Hikari to a flash of blades.

A petite girl with long, lavender hair was circling with a man with a massive broad-bladed greatsword. The girl focused on him intently, a longsword in each hand. Lyra paused at the unusual fighting style; anyone could duel-wield single-handed weapons, but usually the user suffered severe movement penalties. They were in a clearing among the trees, a small hut pressed against the trees at the far side. Lyra watched the fight unfold, uncertain what to do.

The NPC with the greatsword charged, his blade held high overhead. The dual-wielding girl dodged under the strike easily, grinning wide as she drove both her swords into the man's chest. The man spat blood and the girl pulled her weapons out, kicking the man away from her. He fell backwards, dead.

It was just then that Lyra noticed the myriad of NPC corpses around the thin young girl. She stood amidst the bodies calmly as she dematerialized one sword and sheathed the other at her belt. Klein ran up to her, excited like a puppy and grabbed her shoulder.

"Oh god, Yuuki, thank goodness you're okay!" Klein wrapped her in a hug, lifting her up.

"Klein, wha–" She struggled to respond before he started squeezing. She squeaked, her eyes going wide for a moment before he set her down again. She breathed heavily, glaring at him. "My… My god, Klein. You… You were gone for five minutes. I'm fine."

"How'd you manage to take them all out?" Klein gestured at the corpses. Yuuki huffed, puffing her chest out and grinning.

"I was better than them!" Yuuki turned to the newcomers, a confused look on her face, "You brought friends." A moment later, she stopped in shock as she stared at Hikari. "You… It's you."

Lyra looked back and forth between the two women, struggling to understand Yuuki's response to Hikari's presence. Klein had his hands on his hips, as if he was struggling to think of something as well. Yuuki walked up to Hikari, placing a hand on her cheek, her mouth wide open.

"Sorry, I was a bit preoccupied earlier," Klein walked up to Lyra, extending his hand, "I'm Klein, and this is Yuuki. I'm the leader of «Fuurinkazan» and she's the second for the «Sleeping Knights»."

Lyra took his hand hesitantly. "It's a pleasure."

Yuuki grinned wide at her introduction – she seemed easy to smile – but the subtleties of her expression hinted at deeper thoughts left unsaid. For a moment she stared at Hikari and Hikari stared back, neither apparently knowing what to say.

"I thought you were dead," Yuuki started. "Even though the rumors… Everyone thought you were dead."

"Evidently I'm not," Hikari shrugged.

"Uh, guys, we've got trouble," Klein motioned towards the edge of the clearing. Out of the small house, another couple of people emerged, grim expressions on their faces. The one in the center was easily over six feet tall and shirtless, with a body looked to be carved from Roman marble. A maul was slung over one shoulder while held easily with just one hand.

"You have intruded upon lands belonging to the «Chosen»," the giant of a man growled. "State your purpose here before I rip your heads from your shoulders and feed upon your corpses."

"Chosen?" Klein unsheathed his katana. "Chosen of what exactly?"

"Is this a quest?" Lyra asked hurriedly, drawing her own spear. More people emerged from the house, outnumbering them two to one. Hikari unslung her bow, nocking an arrow and pointing it at the face of one of the newcomers.

"Apparently," Yuuki drew her second blade, a smile beginning to form on her face. Briefly, Lyra found herself wondering if the slim young girl was _enjoying _the prospect of combat.

"We got ambushed by several of these guys while researching the main quest," Klein eyed their assailants, waiting for them to strike. "And I have a sneaking suspicion they're related to the dungeon we just can't seem to find."

"Tell me," The big man said, forming the sign of the cross with his free hand. "Do you follow the Goddess Returned? Or shall I enlighten you before you die?"

"Keep talking, big man," Klein called as he started to space himself from Yuuki. Hikari and Lyra did the same, spreading out in anticipation of the attack. The clearing was small, which wouldn't make the fight very easy to deal with.

"She is our Angel," The man brought his maul down, holding it at the ready. "She watches and She guides. She is all around us. All will be brought to Her glory. Her grace will–"

Hikari brought her bow up, drawing the string back. A moment later, she released and the arrow sped forward. It buried itself into the forehead of a man behind the leader, and the NPC crumpled to the ground.

Yuuki took it as permission to attack. She charged, ducking under a maul swing and dancing around the big man. Her two blades sliced into his legs as she passed, but if the behemoth-proportioned NPC noticed, he didn't show it.

Klein charged straight on, his katana pointed parallel to the ground. The big man slammed his maul down on the red-head, but his katana parried the strike easily. Hikari loosed another arrow, taking down a second man just as Yuuki cut down one of the enemies that appeared out of the house.

Lyra spun her spear about, parrying a weak strike from another one of the cultists, his longsword spinning out into the bushes. She struck out with «Demon's Talon», the point driving deep into the NPC's chest. Lyra cringed as she felt bone crack and blood spill from the wound, but she pushed her growing horror at the sight aside, pushing the dying man backwards.

"For as long as there have been baby birds," the giant man grunted out words between every traded strike with Klein, "there have been trees for them to fall from."

"Keep talking!" Klein shouted, dodging a heavy strike with the maul. A look of panic crossed the clearer's face as he narrowly avoided a second strike. Lyra charged at a nearby cultist, jabbing from a safe distance at his dagger-hand. Yuuki rushed the cultist leader.

"And for as long as lost baby birds have wandered the ground," the giant said as he kicked out at Yuuki, launching her backwards into the farmhouse.

"Yuuki!" Klein shouted.

"There have been soft-hearted boys to pick them up again," The man turned towards Yuuki, who lay battered against the ground, struggling to stand. Lyra took out another cultist just as Hikari launched two arrows into the heads of two more nearby. Only the big man was left now. He stood over Yuuki, who was obviously dazed and unable to move, "But alas, their kindness is false."

"Yuuki, get up!" Klein charged the giant, but he spun about, the side of his arm slamming into Klein's chest. The guild leader flew into a tree, slamming into the bark heavily and sliding to the ground.

"The boy does not know the error of his way," The giant's eyes grew wide, his face tightening into fury and hatred as he raised his maul overhead. He shouted his words, "For the touch of man is foul! Its taint cannot be cured, and just as the bird is cast out, the savior becomes the murderer!"

"Shut… up…" Yuuki muttered, shifting carefully as she dug one of her swords into the ground, struggling to stand. The giant stood over her. Hikari launched another arrow, which dug into the big man's shoulder. He did not notice.

"And so it is by the light of the Goddess I cast you down!"

The big man slammed his maul down on Yuuki, but she was already gone. Lyra blinked, losing track of the clearer for just a moment. She reappeared, both swords in hand, stabbing upwards at the giant's stomach. Both blades tore through muscle and tissue easily, the giant spinning slightly to the side.

"I said," Yuuki slashed again, her blades carving through the giant. He struggled to fight back, waving around his maul wildly, but none of his strikes managed to land. Yuuki was shouting, blood pouring from a wound in her head, "Shut up!"

She slashed again with both blades, tearing off one of the giant's legs. As he fell, she spun, slicing through his neck. His head went flying. The giant collapsed to the ground, finally dead.

All four breathed heavily, staring at the bodies around them. Yuuki stumbled, her eyes suddenly going wide. She reached out, blood streaming from somewhere on her head.

"K-Klein," Yuuki fell to her knees. "I feel–"

Yuuki collapsed, falling heavily into the grass-covered ground of the clearing. Somewhere distant, Klein shouted, but Lyra barely noticed. She stared at the bodies adorning the ground, at the many NPC corpses that wouldn't shatter and disappear.

Blood and death.


	13. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Akira – Floor 50 – January 29, 2024 – 14:55**

Akira sat on the log lightly, staring at the prisoner with a disinterested expression. It was purposeful, of course. He didn't want to make the girl uncomfortable, but he _was_ in charge of guarding her. Akira found his mind racing, unbidden. How was he supposed to watch the girl's every movement without coming across as a creep? Akira felt himself tense up. He was just making a fool of himself. Akira looked away from her just as she looked up.

"Since I'm not dead already," the girl's soft voice felt almost melodic. Akira ventured a glance at her. She kneeled on the ground, her hands tied behind her back. Soft orange hair fell around vibrant green eyes. "I'm assuming you guys aren't interested in hurting me. Can't we have a conversation or something? I'm bored."

"Uh, well, I–" Akira started, but the girl interrupted him right away.

"You think you could get me something to eat? I'm absolutely famished," she said, swinging her legs on the log. Each movement of rocked her gently back and forth. Akira stared at her half in shock at her lack of fear.

"Did… did you want food or conversation?" Akira struggled the words out lamely. He was suddenly aware just how pretty his prisoner was, and it wasn't making talking any easier. Well, perhaps she wasn't pretty in the conventional sense. Her face was a bit long-ish and her chin was probably too defined, but that didn't matter. Her eyes sparkled in the afternoon sunlight, illuminating her expression as she watched birds flit about in the trees above them.

"Uhm," she elongated the sound of the word, holding it far longer than necessary. A lock of orange hair brushed her cheek, obscuring some of her freckles. "Both, I suppose. One before the other, most definitely. And absolutely not the other way around!"

Akira stared at her for a second, unsure how to react. After she nodded towards the campsite, Akira went scrambling for food. Around the fire-pit was Johnny Black and Sophie. The two hadn't taken well to each other, and a sullen silence hung around the communal area. In the week or so since their group had arrived at Floor 50, neither had spoken a word directly to the other. Akira cringed as he wormed between the two to open the fire-pit menu and retrieve some cooked meat. Despite their glares, neither said a word to him.

Lily, their rather bubbly prisoner, was still sitting on the log when he came back, still swinging her legs. Her feet were tied together, the rope used secured by a spike attached to log. If she was going anywhere, she'd have to drag the entire log with her. If she'd realized that, she made no obvious note of it. Instead, she stared cross-eyed at a butterfly that had alighted her nose.

"I, uh, got your food," Akira mumbled lamely. Lily's emerald eyes flicked to meet with his and she smiled, letting the butterfly flutter away.

"Oh, finally I can eat!"

Akira traded her a couple of bony ribs. It wasn't much, but considering none of their group had a high «Cooking» skill, it was as much as they could do. Lily didn't seem to care; she tore into it quickly and without regard for taste.

"You haven't been fed since we caught you?" Akira sat on the ground adjacent to her. There wasn't much room about in the small clearing they had been calling home.

"Nope!" She spoke between bites, her mouth full. "Man, this is good. Doesn't quite taste like the real thing, but it's a great simulation."

Akira sat for a while, watching the young girl dive into her food. She was so animated and excited, it hardly seemed like she was a prisoner at all. Akira found himself smiling at her despite himself, ignoring the truth of the situation.

"So I'm assuming you guys are gonna ransom me back to the «DDA», right?" Lily said through a full mouth. She'd already worked her way through all of the ribs. "When's that gonna happen, exactly? It's not quite pleasant being tied to a log."

"I… I'm not sure. It's only been a few hours."

"Oh god," Lily let out an exasperated sigh, falling over onto her side on the log. "I'm so _bored_."

"Can you shut the fuck up?" Johnny Black shouted from the fireplace. Sophie shook her head, staring at the fire, but otherwise not reacting to the outburst directed at Lily. Lily pursed her lips, staring defiantly at Johnny Black for just a moment before looking away.

"I guess I can talk quieter," Lily whispered to Akira, who strained to hear her. "What's your name?"

"Uh," Akira started, but Lily smiled and patted the log next to her. Akira sat there gratefully, but he could feel a growing sense of discomfort. Suddenly the cute girl was right next to her. Her armor wasn't revealing, but if he moved his head just right, he could see down the top. He swallowed, struggling not to look.

"Well? Your name?"

"Akira, though a lot of people call me–" He paused before he said _Newbie_, the word catching in his throat. He hated the name, but it had become almost instinctual. "Akira. Just Akira."

"Oooh, like that film from the 80's!" Lily grinned, scooting over closer to him. "That's a cool name. You ever see that film? It's kinda old now, but it's great!"

"I… uh… no," Akira mumbled feebly.

"That's too bad," Lily pouted. "If video screens existed in «SAO», I'd totally show you it. I wish they'd at least let us watch movies in this game or give us access to the internet or something."

"You seem…" Akira stumbled through his words, struggling to talk to the pretty girl next to him, "rather relaxed. Why is that?"

"I just get the feeling I'm not in danger, is all," Lily smiled. "The only group that kills players is «Laughing Coffin», but they're a huge guild with like 30 people. You guys are just a bunch of robbers."

Akira started to respond, but stopped. Lily didn't know. She didn't understand. Her sense of safety was built upon a misconception, and he found he didn't particularly want to break that. He settled into the lie, wondering how the girl had managed to convince herself of it. Sure, wandering orange players weren't unheard of. Holding a guild member hostage and ransoming them back was something that happened even before «Laughing Coffin» destroyed the «Eternal Brotherhood».

"So you're a part of the «DDA»?" Akira wondered aloud, struggling to change the subject. "Why were you wandering the forest alone?"

"Oh, well, I don't really get along with the rest of them," Lily shrugged. "It's one big boy's club, and I get a lot of crap since I'm a cute girl. It's like they just can't handle a player that's better than them if she's female."

"Ah," Akira sighed. He couldn't help but feel disappointed by the fact that she was a veteran player. He wasn't exactly sure why, but it almost felt threatening. He had been hoping Lily was some novice, he realized now.

"You've got a pretty cool sword!" Lily gestured at Akira's belt. He drew the sword slowly, examining it and unsure how to respond. "Can I see the item screen?"

"Uh, sure." Akira brought up the screen, flipping it around so Lily could see it. She furrowed her brows, reading the small text slowly.

"«Bloodfang», huh?" She read some more. "It's got some pretty scary PvP bonuses. I'd hate to face you off with a weapon like that. You've probably fought a lot of battles, huh? I don't really do much PvP with the «DDA». I'm always just running potion support or doing DPS."

"Hey, fuckweed!" Johnny Black called from the fire, standing up and glaring at Akira. The player winced at this nickname – this one was worse than Newbie by a long shot, and Johnny Black was rather persistent in using it. "Bring the girl. It's time."

"Uh, okay!" Akira called out. He sheathed «Bloodfang» again, standing quickly and opening the menu for Lily's bonds. He unhooked her from the log, instead transferring the bindings to her arms. Lily gasped in surprise as her arms were suddenly bound behind her back. Akira motioned her forward, which she did fairly quickly. If the girl was alarmed at all, she didn't show it.

The other two members of their group had emerged from the forest with weary but hard expressions. Marius and Julius were their names, and they were from a group that had been terrorizing lower floors with their superior equipment and levels for some time before PoH recruited them. Akira hadn't gotten along with them, but it was worse for Sophie, as far as he could tell.

A black «Scaled Owl», a strange and small birdlike creature covered equally in scales and feathers, sat atop Marius's shoulder. It stared silently at the rest of their group. The beast tamer himself was outfitted in grays and browns befitting a hunter, and he was ragged and unshaven. Julius seemed the exact opposite, with hard silver plate and a neat, clean blonde crew cut.

Akira stared down at his own equipment. While powerful in the right hands, he barely knew how to use his longsword and chain coat. Suddenly he found himself missing David and his incessant training schedule, but he pushed the thought away. He didn't need David to be powerful.

As the group of six – five «Laughing Coffin» members and their prisoner, Lily – started to trudge through the forest, Akira couldn't help but worry over Sophie. The last month hadn't been kind to the older woman – her hair had turned white at the temples, and it was radiating out from there. She seemed frailer than she had before. Her equipment was resplendent, though. All of their group sported top-end equipment for the floor, courtesy of PoH and what appeared to be a network of green player merchants willing to trade with criminals for elevated prices.

Marius and Julius had been gone since the morning, when they'd captured Lily. They'd questioned her on where she was going and what her business was and disappeared. Akira couldn't even begin to say why.

"Where are we headed?" Lily broke their sullen silence, asking her question with so much cheer and light-heartedness, it almost seemed painful.

"Shut up and you'll find out," Johnny Black called back.

Lily, of course, didn't pipe down. She chattered the entire length of their long walk, commenting on the trees, on the ground, on the other players. Akira felt himself cringe every time she opened her mouth, waiting for Johnny Black or one of the others to pull out a blade and gut her. They never did, but he could see Johnny Black's fists clench every time she spoke. What forced the man to express such self-restraint was a mystery.

Their walk took them through the dense forest that dominated the fiftieth floor. Occasionally the trees broke, revealing long and desolate valleys. The floor's monsters were predominantly unthinking beasts: «Pale Tigers» and «Frenzied Gorillas» and the like. There were no coordinated ambushes by kobolds or imps or orcs like on the other floors. So long as they kept an eye out, there was little risk of a surprise attack on this floor.

Even so, as they moved steadily through the higher reaches of the floor, Akira found his heart growing increasingly disquiet. Lily, evidently, felt the complete opposite. She chattered on and on, even though none of their party responded to her. They passed by a brief break in the tree line, revealing a long cliff drop to the valley floor. Akira wondered briefly what Lily would chatter about if he tossed her off the edge.

PoH's camp wasn't too distant from Akira's, and the trip took easily less than an hour. When they emerged into the small clearing, he breathed a sigh of relief. His feet were sore and his ears weary from Lily's constant talking. Marius and Julius ducked away and Sophie stood to the side as Johnny Black roughly grabbed Lily's shoulders and dragged her forward.

"Hey, watch it!" Lily cried out.

PoH himself perched on the edge of a stone, his hood down and his expression a mixed bag of curiosity and amusement. Some of the other members of «Laughing Coffin» hung near the edge of the clearing, watching the spectacle carefully. As Lily was tossed forward in front of him, PoH stood and considered her.

"She doesn't look like much for a «DDA» member," PoH finally said after a long stint of considering her. To Lily's credit, she stayed silent as soon as she was forced in front of PoH.

"We checked her «Identity Menu»," Johnny Black stood straight, his arms clasped behind his back. Lily maneuvered herself to a sitting position, staring up at PoH with a wide mouth and empty face. She was in awe. "Who she says she is checks out. You can look for yourself if you want."

"No, no, that's okay," PoH waved the assertion away, studying Lily. "What's your name, girl?"

"Uh, Lily, uh, sir," Her speech was broken and stagnated, and Akira couldn't help but notice how she called him _sir_. Sir, sir, sir, an honorific that all the rest of «Laughing Coffin» used when speaking to PoH.

"No, I mean your real name," PoH crouched in front of her, smiling softly. "What's your real name?"

"That's a bit rude," Lily scoffed. "You can't just ask a lady what her real name is, you know. That's way too personal."

"My apologies," PoH smiled. If he was even the slightest bit bothered by her refusal, he didn't show it. "My associate told me you possessed a particularly curious item when you were captured. When they saved you from the «Cultists», it was lost in the scuffle. Could you tell me what that item is?"

"Oh, uh," Lily tapped her cheek, struggling to recall. "I think it was called a «Godstone»? It wasn't particularly valuable, so I'm not really sad those «Cultists» stole it from me."

"Odd that an NPC would steal an item, no?"

"I suppose so," Lily shrugged. "But it's not unbelievable."

"And why would Lind ask you to transport an item like that?"

"No clue. It had a terrible «Base Value» and Lind isn't exactly the talkative sort," Lily shrugged, then her eyes went wide. "Wait, you know Lind? How do you know my commander?"

"Previous arrangements brought him to me a while back," Poh said, shrugging. "I may not fully understand his personality, but I do know he's the type to plan ahead and make calm, rational decisions. He does not do anything unnecessarily."

"Yup! That's him!"

"And where were you headed?" PoH asked, narrowing his eyes. He was thinking hard, but about what, Akira could only guess. It all seemed so unnecessary. Why did they have to drag the girl straight to PoH? Why bother questioning her? Why didn't they just kill her?

"Outha," Lily shrugged. "That's where I was told to go. I had a delivery to make there, and I suppose someone's gonna realize I'm not coming soon."

PoH nodded, standing up straight. His eyes were dark with thought, the beads in his hair jingling as he considered the situation. After a while, he looked around the clearing, staring at each of the present «Laughing Coffin» members in turn. When his eyes locked with Akira's, he felt his own breath catch.

"Thank you. That's all I need from you, Lily," PoH said, turning abruptly and sitting back down on his stone. He stared ahead, lost in his own head. After a long moment, Johnny Black's low voice broke the silence, carrying the weight of a question Akira had long been considering.

"Should we kill her, sir?"

"Wait, what?" Lily's voice jumped so high her voice nearly broke.

"No. Not yet," PoH looked down at the girl. "I still need her."

* * *

**David – Floor 49 – January 29, 2024 – 19:23**

David stopped eating, looking at the Tank and narrowing his eyes. Lux had paused as well, following David's gaze towards the man. The Tank sneered, staring down at David with his wide-set eyes and pig-like nose. Thin brown curls stuck up from the older man's head, directed randomly about. The rest of their small group had barely reacted to the news. Lux, sitting beside him, hardly seemed to notice. XaXa and Philia merely kept on eating.

"What kind of a job is that?" David snarled, standing up more forcefully than he intended. Lux hopped off the log as she jumped to her feet next to him, their perch rolling away.

"It's the job she got assigned," the Tank answered, indicating towards Lux with a nod, "She's gonna make the kill tomorrow and you're gonna quit bitching."

"It's a ring delivery!" David shouted, "How can you justify sending Lux out for that? We don't even need the equipment!"

"Have you forgotten?" the Tank looked up at him, his jaw tight with thinly-veiled anger. "We're murderers now. This is our _job_. PoH's gonna give her a damn good reward in exchange for the ring. It's none of your fucking concern whether the high-schooler goes or not."

"Then I want to do it," David said, immediately regretting saying it that way. Lux narrowed her eyes at David. "Lux can keep the reward. I don't care about that. But sending her alone to kill a guild leader with an extremely powerful ring? That's just too much."

"David, you're misunderstanding," the Tank finally stood. His black plate armor gave the older man another inch of height, but he was still shorter than David by half a head. David felt a firm grip around the front of his leather cuirass, and the Tank roughly pulled him forward. His voice was soft and low, now. David inwardly flinched. It was the same voice the Tank used when he slaughtered RedSCAR. "I get that you're pining for Lyra and you feel like you need some poontang to keep your head straight. Trust me, Lux is cute enough that I get where you're coming from. But she'll come back nice and safe, you hear me?"

"No, you're misunderstanding," David bristled, roughly pulling himself off of the Tank. "Keep your sick fantasies to yourself. They aren't relevant. Lux doesn't need to kill anybody. I can do it for her."

The Tank visibly shook with anger for a moment, his eyes going wide and his entire body tensing. For a long moment, David was certain the short man would slug him, but the blow never came. After a while, the Tank finally seemed to calm down. His eyes remained fixed on David, unrelenting.

"I think I'm starting to see where you stand, kid," the Tank finally said, a sudden sigh creeping into his breath. "You and Lux work this shit out yourselves if you're intent on killing her targets," the Tank turned away as he spoke, starting to walk back to their bedrolls. After a moment, he stopped, looking over his shoulder. "But don't get me wrong. You backtalk to me again and I'll rip your fucking throat out."

David kicked a rock, staring over at XaXa and Philia. They were both looking away wordlessly, unwilling to get involved in David's little spat with their leader. He scowled, stalking off into the woods to cool his head. Behind him, the darkening light was falling on their encampment. Soon their fire would shine bright, but on this heavily forested floor, the light from the fire likely wouldn't attract much attention.

As he moved silently through the forest, he kept an ear out for any monsters. Crickets chirped in the underbrush, and were later joined by millions of other insects. Their songs filled the air around him, each insect's mating call joining in with a thousand others.

His «Night Vision» skill was high enough that his path was clearly illuminated before him. David briefly considered turning it off to allow himself to be immersed in the darkness of the forest, but decided against it. Turning it back on would take too long and he'd be exposed and weak until he could.

A slight beeping in his ear alerted him to Lux's presence behind him. David sighed, falling against a tree and sitting in the crook of one of its low branches. It wasn't long before the girl caught up to him. Her pale irises glimmered in the dark, reflecting what little light there was. She had a higher «Night Vision» skill than he did.

"So you followed me out here?" David said, drawing his legs up to his chest. "What's that mean? You finally gonna spit something out? Say what you think?"

The girl hopped onto a branch across from him. Her «Coat of Ill Omen» hung loosely around her body, barely visible as it blended with the night. Most of the rest of her was obscured by the low-hanging branches. She didn't respond, and David spent a long time waiting.

"You ever gonna speak to me, or you just going to follow me around silently?" David spat, frustrated. "This whole month you've done nothing but sulk. The least you could do was back me up when the Tank–"

"I agree with the Tank," Lux said, her voice soft like the wind. "I saw no reason to stick up for you."

David stopped like she had slapped him, her words forcibly drawing him from his brooding thoughts. When he looked up, somehow the girl seemed visibly different. Perhaps it was only the low light of the forest.

"So you're okay with murdering some innocent woman who is only trying to sell a ring her guild found?" David said.

"Yes. I am."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not like you," Lux replied, shrugging as she did so. When David didn't reply, she sighed and continued, "To be honest, I'm glad you seem to care. The Tank would throw me off a bridge if it suited his interests, XaXa is not right in the head, and Philia is too distant to care about anyone. You're the only one who seems human."

"So that's why you follow me around?" David smirked. "Because you're lonely?"

"No," Lux shook her head. "It's because I'm alone."

She left him soon after that, disappearing into the underbrush of the thick, dark forest. David sat a while, staring up at what little he could see of the night sky. In Aincrad, there was no pollution to mask the brilliant sight of the many stars. Two wide, milky bands stretched across the sky, perpendicular to each other, and crossing somewhere off to the south-east. It was impossible astronomy in the real world. Constellations too intricate and detailed painted the sky, no longer vague lines to represent pictures, but coherent stellar dramas.

David watched it all and saw nothing.

When he finally returned to the camp a few hours later, Lux had curled up in her bedroll, which had been moved slightly farther away from him than where it usually was. Whether she was asleep or not was another story, but David didn't bother her regardless. Philia and the Tank were sitting silently around the campfire, though it looked like Philia was close to nodding off. The Tank didn't speak to him as he passed.

XaXa stood apart in the forest, his back turned to the fire to prevent the light from ruining his «Night Vision». David walked up to his old friend, though he hesitated just as he passed the fire. XaXa's thin frame was turned away from him, his shaggy reddish hair swinging in the light breeze. The man shivered as David approached, turning slightly as David walked up next to him.

"Cold night, eh?" David asked. XaXa nodded immediately. "We haven't talked much lately. You doing all right?"

"Better. Much better, of course," XaXa bobbed his head up and down. "If anything I'm more worried about you. My issues can be controlled so long as I stay calm. And my frailty doesn't affect me as much in SAO than it does in the real world."

"Even so, you should keep yourself rested," David cautioned. They stood together, watching down the hill through a break in the trees. If he craned his neck, he could just barely see the towering cathedral of Myujen. "It wouldn't be good if you collapsed on us. Even if you're feeling healthy, it isn't good to push yourself so hard."

"PoH says the opposite," XaXa shook his head. "I've got to work hard for the benefit of the guild. He's got a grand vision that we're all a part of now. We can't rest until we see it through. Heathcliff must be brought down so the true clearers can take his place in leading SAO to freedom."

"Do you… really buy all that?" David almost didn't ask the question, but it was too late now to take it back. XaXa looked at him, his eyes a little wider, but didn't seem bothered by David's dissent.

"PoH reminds me of what is real and what is not," XaXa shrugged. "It isn't easy for me to distinguish reality on my own. My," XaXa furrowed his eyebrows, "defective brain is what my father called it. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it… doesn't. To me, it does not matter what I think about PoH's plans. He'll say what he must to accomplish what needs to be done."

"And you're okay with that?" David sighed. "You're okay with being used?"

XaXa shrugged. "It's better than being alone with my thoughts. It always is." He turned to David, a curious expression on his sad face. Somehow it reminded him of the winter snow of the year past. XaXa wore a similar expression then, in a very different world.

"What is it?" David asked, though he somehow already knew what XaXa would ask.

"Lux… She's a lot like Emilia, isn't she?" XaXa's forlorn expression said everything else. David felt his heart hurt.

"Well, she lacks Emilia's pointy ears," David joked. XaXa chuckled slightly. "You still haven't forgotten about her, huh?"

"Maybe it's because I'm… different," XaXa said, "but I felt like she wasn't just an NPC. She was more real than anything else I've seen in this world, and she's gone."

"Lux does look a lot like her," David admitted. Briefly a thought passed through him, forcing him to wonder if that was the reason he'd taken to protecting the blonde-haired teenager he was in a party with. A memory tugged at him, stirring up a half-forgotten occurrence from a month prior. David widened his eyes, suddenly feeling cold dread.

"What's wrong?" XaXa asked, but David barely heard it.

"Where is Heaven, XaXa?" David mouthed.

"Huh?"

"I saw a girl last month who looked a lot like Emilia. She asked me that question and disappeared. She wasn't an elf, though. She was just another player, I think."

"Was it Lux?" XaXa asked, an eyebrow raised.

"No, it couldn't have been her," David said, shaking his head. "At least, I highly doubt that it was. It was… odd, to say the least. The question was on my mind up until our attack on the «Eternal Brotherhood»."

"Well," XaXa narrowed his eyes. "Heaven, to me, is a place without pain. An eternal peace with no end. Bliss forever, with the pains of the past forgotten."

"Sounds boring."

"A bit," XaXa ceded. The two fell silent. Myujen was illuminated in the distance. Bright lights shone along the Cathedral walls. There were banners and flags fluttering black above them all, completely shaded by the fallen night. Somewhere in the streets below, people were moving back and forth, from job site to guild hall to wilderness or elsewhere. David hadn't seen the inside of a town's tall walls in over a month.

If he missed anything, it was the simple security of an inn room. He missed the cold breeze blowing through a half-open window. He missed Lyra's soft knocks on his door late in the night and her warmth as she stretched out on the bed next to him. He missed lying awake at night, listening to her breathing and wondering if she would mind if he woke her up and kissed her, or if she was only staying in his bed to avoid being alone.

"What exactly is PoH having us do when we go green again?" David asked, motivated more by the desire to see Lyra again than the urge to know PoH's plans. "His message wasn't very clear."

XaXa shrugged. "No clue. I know it's got something to do with one of the smaller towns on the north end of Floor 50. And there was talk of crazy NPCs. Beyond that, I've got no idea."

"Ah well."

"David, are you even going to stay with us when we go green again?" XaXa's question hit him like a hammer. David turned suddenly, his voice catching in his throat. His first instinct was to laugh the question away, but when he saw XaXa's firm expression, that plan fell away. His mouth hung uselessly, unable to conjure up the words he needed to fool the man. Finally, he shrugged.

"Who knows?"

"You're not like the rest of us, David," XaXa said, shaking his head. "When I kill, it's like I'm reaffirming my essence, asserting power over an existence which seemed determined to bar me from happiness. The Tank kills and drinks and feels nothing in the end. Philia cries at night sometimes, but it's less frequently now. Lux–"

"What's your point?" David snarled, harsher than he had intended.

"Lux cries harder than Philia, when she's all alone," XaXa said, his voice carrying oddly over to David. "But never around other people. But she, like Philia, does it less often now. Whether it's guilt or pain or otherwise, I don't know. I don't feel those things the way the rest of you do." XaXa turned to him, his gaze turned down into a glare, saying, "But you, David. You've become like me. Detached. Unreal. You drift among the living, pretending to be one of them, but the truth is obvious."

"What truth?"

"You can't save Lux, David," XaXa said, the momentum of his speech not stopping for even a moment. "You can't save the Tank. You can't save Philia. You certainly can't save me. So why are you still here?"

"I–"

"You do not believe in PoH's tenets – that much is painfully obvious to me. David, why are you doing this?" XaXa's words were not accusation. If anything there was concern hidden behind his cold eyes. David tried to give a coherent response, but couldn't.

It was all so muddled now. Lux and Lyra. PoH and the Tank. XaXa and Emilia. Everything, ever since SAO began in earnest the year past, was disjoint. Nobody was where they should have been. Nobody was okay.

David remembered the first time he met Lyra. He had lost to her in a duel but she had been impressed nonetheless. She had been strong. When confronted with something she disagreed with, she raised her voice to disagree. She had been defiant. Even when she was crawling into his bed to escape facing the darkness alone, she carried herself with dignity and grace, never begging and never whining. She had been proud.

David was none of those things.

"You ask me why I'm here, XaXa?" David chuckled, the little rough sound erupting from him involuntarily. "It's because there's nowhere left for me to go."

XaXa stared at him for a while before nodding.

* * *

**Argo – Floor 50 – January 29, 2024 – 22:20**

"So what you're telling me is," Argo ground her fingers into her temples, struggling to remove the growing annoyance creeping into her voice, "you found the exact person I've been looking for, the only lead that we have aside from Kaoru for finding «Laughing Coffin», and you _let them go_?"

Klein was looking at the floor, shifting uncomfortably. Yuuki wasn't much better. Both offenders stood before the entire council on the slightly raised floor panels at the front of the long rectangular table. Heathcliff leaned against the wall behind them, examining the scene calmly while Argo vented her frustration. Most of the leaders – those who bothered to come this late, at least – seemed weary or otherwise annoyed at being called to meet at night. Her outburst did little to sate their sour moods.

"Do you two _realize _exactly how sensitive Hikari's situation is right now?" Argo pointed at the two of them, gritting her teeth as she paused in her speech. She sighed, calming herself down slightly. "Hikari may have more names for us. And if not names, then she may have other information that could prove essential. If she is found by «Laughing Coffin» before us, they're undoubtedly going to kill her, and we'll be left with nothing."

"I-I'm sorry!" Yuuki was blubbering, close to tears. Argo felt herself soften at the sight of the trembling girl. "She was with a girl and the girl was pretty strong and I didn't think–"

"No, you didn't think," Argo said, exasperated. She sunk back into her chair next to Asuna, lowering her head into her hands. She waved a hand. "Whatever."

"Hey, Investigator," Klein started. Argo raised her head slightly. "There's no need for that."

Argo didn't respond. Mentally she worked through the consequences of Klein and Yuuki's lack of foresight. No real drawbacks – the situation hadn't changed – but no progress either. There'd been no progress for a long time now, and she was starting to doubt the «Council» would be content with a lack of results forever. She looked up. Klein was still talking."

"–Lyra, the girl she was with, was a pretty powerful player. If they stay hidden–"

"Lyra?" Argo's head perked up. "Did you just say Lyra?"

"Yeah, she–"

"Black hair, «Demon's Talon», kinda squeamish?" Argo spoke quickly, a strange feeling of elation growing within her. "

"«Demon's Talon»?" Lind looked at her suddenly, an odd expression on his face. Argo didn't pay much attention to him, instead fixated completely on Klein.

"Yeah," Klein rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "I mean, she got pretty green after we dealt with those «Cultists», so I imagine she's squeamish. She was a pretty good fighter, though. I'm surprised I haven't seen her in some PVP tournaments–"

Argo ignored the rest of whatever Klein said. She opened her menu, rushing into her «Friend's List» and opening it. She thumbed through the names quickly, finally settling on the one name she was seeking. If Lyra and Hikari were with each other, then…

_'Sophie, this is extremely important. I need to speak with your party member Lyra. Please get back to me ASAP. A life may depend on it.'_

Argo paused before sending it. Perhaps it was a tad bit dramatic, but if it spurred Sophie into responding faster, then that was all the better. She had no time to mess around. She hadn't spoken with the woman in a month – any pleasantries that Argo had sent the older woman's way had been met with terse or nonexistent replies. Hopefully this spurred the woman into responding.

"Might I ask what sudden inspiration struck you?" Heathcliff asked, his voice calm and level despite Argo's excited display.

"I know a Lyra with a «Demon's Talon»," Argo grinned. "Unless there's someone else running around with the exact same username, I'm pretty sure it's the same person. I just sent a PM to a mutual acquaintance to see if I can get in contact with her. Finding Hikari may not be a lost cause."

Heathcliff nodded. "In that case, please inform the «Council» when you get a response. Now," a brief glance around the room, likely to count who had bothered to show up to the emergency meeting, "We move on with the rest of your story. Would you please?"

Yuuki wiped her eyes, looking up at Klein expectantly. Argo felt more than a large grip of guilt from yelling at the girl. Even though she was likely only a year younger than Argo was, Yuuki's general demeanor spoke of someone with a more child-like heart. Argo sighed to herself. She'd have to apologize later.

"Well, after Lyra and Hikari departed and I patched Yuuki up, we took to investigating the house. There wasn't much in besides rats and whatnot. Built to fit quite a few people in a relatively small space," Klein said, pausing as he thought, "The biggest thing were the letters we found."

Yuuki opened her inventory and materialized several papers, nodding to the thin man sitting nearest her. The meeting scribe that sat near the head of the table took them immediately, running a few skills to make duplicate copies of each of the papers. He quickly walked around the table, distributing the copies in frantic, flighty motions. Argo racked her brain, trying to place the scribe. A member of the «Whitewood Watch»?

She thought about that guild. The leader of the «Whitewood Watch», a man named Surrey, was absent that night from the emergency meeting. In his group PM explaining why he couldn't make it, he'd mentioned something about significant guild differences he had to settle. Everyone else already knew about it; the bunch of «Whitewood Watch» members seeking revenge against «Laughing Coffin» for several murders of guild members over the past few weeks.

Murdering murderers, so to speak. Argo shook her head, trying not to think about it when her copy was placed in front of her.

The papers were innocuous enough, Argo thought to herself. Distribution lists and shipment routes. For an organized cult group, it wasn't too far-fetched to suppose they had registries to take stock of equipment and supplies. As she touched the papers, a light buzzing rang in her ears. Argo opened her menu and felt a hint of shock run through her.

«FLOOR 50 QUEST» ADVANCED

Argo flipped through to her «Quest Menu» just as the rest of the table was beginning to react to the message. It was a plain little thing, merely listing the names of her currently active quests. She thumbed down to the simply-titled «Floor 50 Quest». Most of the rest had elaborate names that gave hints of what the quest entailed, but that wasn't true for the floor quests. When she hovered over that quest name, a drop-down appeared.

_'You have discovered the ledgers of a mysterious religious organization.'_

Argo sighed. It wasn't any information worth talking about and there were no new quest markers for her to look at. It wasn't long before most of the rest of the table had realized the same thing, and the excited tenseness of the room filtered away to nothing.

"Not to be rude, but how does this help us?" the leader of the «Fuumaningun» asked, his clear and bright eyes shining from under his dark hood. "These ledgers update the quest, sure. Now we know these «Cultists» may be involved in finding the entrance to the labyrinth, but it gives us no clues."

"Read the ledgers," Klein said simply. "If you look at the shipment delivery routes, where are most of the shipments coming from and heading to?"

Argo read the paper over, puzzling through the document.

"Most leave Algade and arrive at Outha, one of the small walled towns to the north of us," the leader of the «Legend Braves» said calmly. "Just as Kotaru said, what use is it?"

Heathcliff finally spoke up, his low voice rumbling through the room. "I'm inclined to believe there is some significance to these shipments, especially if our quest menus are being updated by looking at them. Even if their benefit isn't immediately obvious, this is a matter that should be looked into."

"Agreed," Ran spoke up, smiling at Yuuki. "If nobody else is willing to do so, I volunteer the «Sleeping Knights» to investigate this matter."

"Trying to steal the spoils of this quest for yourself, eh?" Lind smirked at her. "If that's the way you're gonna play it, the «DDA» is gonna be sending people to check out Outha as well."

"A joint effort, then?" Heathcliff smiled at them both. "I'm sure the two of you could use some training in cooperation."

"What?" Lind replied, shocked.

It took a bit of hammering out of the details, but eventually it was established that the «Sleeping Knights» and the «Divine Dragon Alliance» would work together on investigating the quest messages, with several «KoB» members tagging along as peacekeepers. Surprisingly, the two leaders didn't fight the situation much, even though Lind was famously averse to «KoB» oversight.

Towards the end of it, Argo thought she caught Lind smiling at Ran – a softer, more genuine expression than he usually had on. She blinked and the moment was gone. If Ran had returned the look, it was gone now, and nobody else had noticed.

The meeting was finalized with some negotiations about raids and additional information Argo had uncovered about financial transactions and movement of weapons throughout the upper floors. It wasn't much – sudden surpluses in the sales of high-end equipment that seemed to coincide with multiple player disappearances over the past month. When her speech had been given, the «Council» adjourned.

A few people milled about, talking to one another. Heathcliff and his second, Asuna, took off immediately. Argo smirked, wondering if they were heading to the same inn room for the night, but then kicked herself for assuming the worst about the sub-leader of the guild.

After a long moment of staring at the closed oak door, Lind walked up to her. His voice was low and calm as he leaned in close to her.

"Come with me, investigator. It's time."

Argo felt herself go cold. She knew what it meant, and it was something that she had been struggling to push to the back of her head. She swallowed, resolving herself for what was to come.

Lind's second, a gruff-looking man with tanned skin and dreadlocks by the name of Yamata, walked with them as Lind led her out of the central government building of Algade. As they exited the building, several other armored «DDA» members joined them, only adding to Argo's growing unease.

She knew where they were all headed, but Argo didn't particularly want to go.

"Look at that bastard," one of her escorts growled, pointing towards the entrance to the City Hall. Jun and Ran walked side by side out of the building, followed closely by Yuuki. He was pointing at the red-haired swordsman in particular. "He's still carrying that fuckin' sword."

Argo squinted, trying to make out the blade in the dark. It had a grey chitinous handle and a simple leather scabbard, but Argo recognized the weapon right away. A rare drop from the «Drone Lords» that inhabited the «Ant Hill», most likely.

"What's wrong with the sword?" Argo probed. The man who spot up spat.

"It was _our _sword is what it was," the man grumbled. "We took it fair and square as a Last Hit bonus back in November. Ever since the «Council» forced us to give it to the «Sleeping Knights», that bastard's been wearing it as a badge of pride. If I had the chance I'd–"

"Easy, Haden," Lind laid a heavy hand on the man's shoulder. "Towns are not the place to be starting fights. Besides, we're to be working with the «Sleeping Knights» to solve this floor's main quest, aren't we?"

"You're too forgiving, sir," Haden sighed, deflating. His fire was gone. "Everyone in the «DDA» knows how vengeful and uncompromising the «Sleeping Knights» are. Sometimes I wish you'd bring the hammer down on them, just once. Show them whose boss."

"They have some very powerful players in that guild," Lind said. "Save your fire for the PVP tournaments. We can prove the superiority of our guild on the field of fair combat."

"You know, you really gave it to Ran at the last meeting, sir," Yamata grinned, his dreadlocked ponytail bobbing as he spoke. "It was a pleasure to see her so flustered."

Lind shrugged. "I do what I can."

One of the «DDA» members to her left snickered, pointing down the road. Just before the road wound away from them, they could see Heathcliff and Asuna enter the same inn together. They were alone, and the place was one of the higher-priced establishments in the town.

Maybe there _was _something more to their story. Argo smirked, reveling in the guilty pleasure of knowing something she probably shouldn't.

"I swear, they do it after every «Council» meeting," Lind shook his head, smirking. "It's a shame too, that Asuna is getting dirty with an old man like Heathcliff. I wouldn't mind getting between her legs myself. She's one of the very few bombshells in this game."

"But sir, don't you have a girlfriend?" Yamata raised his eyebrows, his voice low but solid.

"I… uh… well…" Lind scratched his head, a hint of a blush forming on his cheeks, just barely visible as they walked down the dark city streets.

"Yeah, boss, when are you gonna introduce her to us?" One of the others cracked a smile. "You've been with her for a few months now, haven't you? Why haven't you ever brought her down to the barracks to show her off?"

"Hah!" Lind grinned, smacking the man solidly on the shoulder. "Show her off, you say, to a crowd of women-starved assholes like you guys? I'd never subject a fine lady like her to that sort of thing."

"With all due respect, sir," Yamato's voice felt light, even though the tone hadn't changed much. "I'm starting to doubt your girlfriend exists."

"Preposterous!" Lind waved his hands. "I'm your brave commander, you guys have to believe me."

Argo sighed as they led her down the winding alleyways of Algade. The rumors were true a thousand-fold about the «DDA». They were a boy's club through and through. Even though she felt awkward and out-of-place walking in the middle of the group, she found their joviality refreshing. It distracted her from what the rest of the night entailed.

It was all too soon when they finally arrived at the «DDA» barracks. It wasn't a particularly impressive building on the outside – it had a particularly shabby wood and stone construction that likely drove the price of the building far down. However, she could see why the «DDA» had purchased it so quickly after arriving at the floor. It was massive, with plenty of space for the many members of the guild. The DDA had the largest member base of all the clearing guilds, and they had to stick all their people _somewhere_.

Buying a barracks had to be cheaper than buying inn rooms for every guild member every night for months on end. Argo tried to run through the numbers in her head, but was too distracted to do it. Lind rapped on the door and was quickly let inside.

The entry hall was wide and tall, but considerably musty. The «DDA» likely hadn't spent much time cleaning the place up since they bought it. The rest of their group disappeared into the building, leaving Argo alone with Lind and Yamato.

"This way," Lind said. His voice had already turned from jovial and light from when he was joking with his guild mates to dark and heavy.

He led her towards a side-passage that went down into the basement, Yamato keeping pace behind them. Down a flight of cramped, creaky stairs and through a doorway, they entered into a small room with stone floors and walls. It was damp and dank; Argo surmised they were underground. A single door adorned the wall ahead of them, and Argo felt her heart tighten over what must be done.

"Argo," Lind paused, his hand on the handle. "Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me?" Lind turned towards her, his expression distant and uncertain. "I need to know. We've worked together for over a month now. Perhaps that's not enough for some people to develop a bond of trust, but it's enough for me."

"I'm not sure–"

"I trust you, Argo," Lind said. "And that's the only reason I've brought you here."

He swung the door open. Kaoru looked up. The man didn't look much different from when Argo had last seen him. He sat on the floor adjacent to all three of the people entering the small room. His arms were chained up over his head, but there were no other visible restraints.

"Kaoru," Lind began, his voice slow. "You have been branded by the «Council» as a potential well of information. Due to your reluctance to supply us with any information whatsoever regarding the whereabouts of PoH or «Laughing Coffin», I have been granted the right to torture you until you talk. Argo will serve as a non-biased observer for the events that transpire."

"Do your worst," Kaoru spat.

"Oh, believe me, I will," Lind sighed. He kneeled over Kaoru, examining the man for a long while. In comparison to the frail, skinny Kaoru, Lind looked well-muscled and powerful, even in his town clothes. Argo suddenly realized exactly how the other «DDA» members must see their leader: strong, confident, and powerful.

But the illusion broke, and Lind hung his head. A quick wave of his hands brought up the menu for the shackles on the wall. Lind pressed the «Release» button and the shackles binding Kaoru disappeared suddenly. Argo lifted an eyebrow as Lind backed away. Kaoru lowered his arms, staring back and forth between them all.

"I need you to trust me, Argo," Lind whispered. Then, louder, "Kaoru, I have decided to defy the «Council». You are free to go. My second Yamato will escort you to the city limits in a discrete fashion, after which you'll be given some basic equipment and set loose."

"You're… letting me go?" Kaoru stood, slack-jawed.

"Yes, though I'll be declaring you as an escaped prisoner tomorrow morning. If anyone captures you again, that's the story."

"But… why?"

Lind flicked an eye back to Argo, then back to Kaoru.

"Let's just say my loyalties aren't strictly to the «Council»," Lind smirked, and Argo caught more than a small amount of subtle inflection in his voice. What it meant was anyone's guess. "Their interests aren't the same as my own. Yamato?"

The second moved forward, taking Kaoru by the arm and leading him out. Argo watched him go, a mixed feeling of dread and relief coursing through her. Relief that she didn't have to torture Kaoru. Dread, because…

"Lind, what's going on?" Argo's voice quivered as she spoke the question softly.

"Argo, you need to trust me," Lind lay a hand on her shoulder, but she shied away from his touch. "This is bigger than both of us right now, and this is all I can do. You were required to be here as an impartial observer of the torture, and I expect you to report to the «Council» that everything went dandy and nothing was learned before he got away. Can you do that?"

"I can't–"

"I asked you," Lind's voice was suddenly dark, "can you do that?"

Lind left her at that, turning sharply for the door. Argo found herself standing in the basement, breathing hard and letting the fear and adrenaline course through her. Lind had let Kaoru go. Lind had threatened her.

She recalled the nervous voices of the leaders of the «Fuumaningun» and the «Legend Braves». Though she hadn't believed it at the time, suddenly it was clear as day. Lind slowly walked up the stairs, his broad back turned to Argo.

There was a traitor in their midst.


	14. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **About Griselda, please see my note about her and Golden Apple on my forum page.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Argo – Floor 50 – January 30, 2024 – 11:23**

_'You know, that cloak really suits you.'_

Argo glanced down at the message again, probably for the hundredth time that morning. It was only two hours old, and had yawned wide at her after she left from her meeting with him. The event had been unplanned and nearly conflicted with what she had planned to do that morning.

Kirito was still disheveled when they'd met up, but he was looking much better than he had in December. He'd started regularly bathing again – something Argo had to fight tooth and nail for – and he was much more relaxed and at-ease around her now. What had prompted the gradual change over the month since they'd started working together was beyond her; Argo liked to think she was the one exerting a positive influence over him, but she couldn't help but feel it was something deeper.

And he was still humming Christmas tunes. Weirdo.

He told her of the results of his investigation on the 49th floor. The «Whitewood Watch» had lost an entire patrol of people who were guarding a caravan for an odd once-only quest in Myujen. It had been time-activated, only appearing once Floor 50 had been cleared, and only accepted one person to complete it.

The task? Deliver a stone.

Argo couldn't make sense of it. It was currently likely «Laughing Coffin» had something to do with the raid, but that probability was becoming less every day. Copy-cat guilds had already begun to spring up on the lower floors seeking to emulate and build upon the terror everyone had felt at the beginning of the year.

Kirito had given up on the 49th floor, unable to find any leads on the murderer's guild or make sense of the odd quest that wouldn't start over for any other players. However, Argo had more than noticed how animated he'd been when they met. When he spoke, it was with anger at the heinous acts of «Laughing Coffin», or joy from some trivial enjoyment he had found during his week away, or sadness when he discovered the fates of the «Whitewood Watch» members. Argo had smiled even at the tragic parts. Kirito had his emotions back.

They'd separated again – this time only for the morning – while he went shopping to restock and Argo ran her one errand for the day.

Argo turned the corner, keeping her target in sight as she did. Her brown cloak fluttered behind her, but the crowd of people on the street hid her from the broad-backed young man she was tailing. She kept a good distance – 30, maybe 40, feet back – and held her head down and eyes up. The man hadn't noticed her, but he was looking around occasionally as if worried about being followed.

Lind pulled off the main road of «Algade», heading towards one of the peripherals of the town. Argo stopped at the street corner, considering her options. There weren't as many people on this new road, but there were still enough. She followed, pulling herself back another 20 feet.

Ling stopped at a roadside take-out stand – one of the ones manned by adventurous non-players willing to bring their chosen craft to the front lines – ordering a hot plate for himself and someone else. Argo raised an eyebrow at that as he opened his menu and dematerialized the food. It was possible he was merely saving it for later, but buying food to share with an informant was quite unusual.

The leader of the «DDA» spun quickly, his attention grabbed by some skirting player running down the road. Argo flinched, turning sharply to the side and darting down a nearby alleyway. Her heart thundered, driven by the now-passed fear of being caught. She swore, catching a glimpse around the alley corner. Lind was staring at the spectacle of two young players running in the street. If Argo stepped out now, she'd be sighted instantly.

She sighed, preparing to wait until Lind moved on.

A glint of light on metal touched her eye, and she looked over at a pile of trash bins and scrap deposited near the backdoor of a blacksmith. It was mostly decoration for the side of the one-story building and was likely not usable, otherwise the place would have been picked clean by scavenging merchants already. She looked up towards the roof. It started only a few feet above the topmost point of the scrap pile.

Argo smiled, getting an idea.

Hopping up onto the bins of scrap was easy enough. The problem came when she tried to scale the small mountain of metal piled on top of that. She placed one hand uneasily on top of a slab of thick steel. It didn't budge. She leaned against it, testing her full weight and smiling when it didn't move. She moved gingerly upwards, only pressing her weight onto tested segments.

Though it was only a five foot climb, her heart was pounding and her head spinning by the time she made it to the gently sloped roof of the blacksmith. Thick black smoke billowed from a nearby brick chimney.

"Shit," Argo mumbled to herself, skirting over to the edge of the building. In her efforts to get onto the roof, she'd fallen behind Lind by quite a way. Luckily, the roofs were clear and private. Argo moved towards the center of the roof to prevent being seen from the streets below.

She picked up speed, moving faster than she ever could in real life – thanks to her «Acrobatics» skill – and considered the wall of the two-story building coming up in front of her. She didn't slow down, instead gaining speed as she ran towards the gap between the two stone and brick buildings. Moments before the edge, she planted her feet and sprung upwards, using every bit of momentum she had accumulated.

It was just under enough, Argo could already tell. Her hand would miss the edge of the building. She planted her feet against the wall of the building as she touched down and forced herself upward. The small bit of friction was just enough to get her hand around the ledge.

Argo pulled herself up slowly, gasping and sputtering for breath. Her exhaustion was more due to exhilaration than fear, and she felt the excitement reverberate through her limbs. She'd ran along rooftops! She'd leapt from a building!

The broker stood quickly, a wide smirk spreading across her face that she just couldn't ignore. She shook her head, bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet, her muscles itching to run more. The thrill of the experience filled her, and she eagerly ran to the next edge – this time with a building of equal height – and cleared it with a single bound.

In this manner she chased down Lind, moving from rooftop to rooftop. Glass panes and ceilings passed beneath her feet alongside solid stone and dull red brick. Her footsteps silenced by her «Stealth» skill, few, if any, people even noticed her pass by overhead. Argo found herself smiling as she ran.

When she finally caught up to Lind, he had turned off the secondary street and into an alleyway. Now she hung closer to the edge of the buildings, watching him carefully and following at as great a distance as she dared. She drew her cloak tight around her as she tailed the guild leader, hopping from building to buildings, onto porches and balconies and up into window frames. Propelled by her impossible gymnastic ability, she kept pace with the man.

All the while she had to stop herself from shouting with joy.

When Lind finally stopped, it was in a small clearing in no particularly special quarter of the large town of «Algade». To her right were the blackened skies above the smithies and the forges. To her left – though it was some ways distant – rose the massive city hall building. Lind himself took a seat at a small, unadorned fountain gushing clear blue water. A few NPCs strolled past, but there wasn't a player in sight for quite a way.

Argo felt her stomach knot. It was the perfect place for anything clandestine. Nobody would be around to witness a suspicious meeting. She thought back to that morning, when she'd marched straight down to the «DDA» barracks to demand that Lind told her everything and that he come clean about any involvement with «Laughing Coffin» he might have. She had rehearsed everything on the way over, perfecting every little nuance of speech, every little inflection and criticism. And then she saw him and her words fell away.

He said he was leaving the barracks to go for a walk. He insisted he be alone, and that anything Argo had to say would have to wait until later. Following him was all Argo could do. Argo sighed, ducking against a chimney so that Lind couldn't see her. All she could do now was hide and wait until Lind's informant came, if indeed that's what he was out here to do.

She shifted through her menu, pulling up her exchange of messages with Kirito. She smiled at them despite herself, sorting through the continuous conversation. Ever since she had demanded that he helped her out back in December, he'd finally started replying to her messages. They talked nearly every day now, and she saw him most days of the week.

Usually he was trading her small bits of information in exchange for a meal or trying to worm important details about spawning grounds from her without having to pay her standard rate. She thumbed over their most recent conversation, a report that he had reiterated this morning when he'd returned from the 49th floor.

_'You're right. I've started to look forward to your cooking. Despite your appearances, you're actually pretty handy in the kitchen. It's tough not having that to rely on.'_ She had sent to him.

_ 'Despite my appearance? What exactly do I look like, a barbarian? I can cook plenty well. Maybe not as good as some, but it gets me by.'_

_ 'Does it come from your long and lustrous career as a soloer? Those lonely campfires at night must make great motivation to up your cooking stats.'_

_ 'Well, when I don't sit comfortably in towns every day. I'm forced to make myself food.'_

Argo smirked as she read that message, imagining Kirito sitting out in the cold rain of a dreary day while she herself was wrapped up tight in and warm and dry in an inn room. There had been a day like that at one point, and she had laughed at him for his misery. Argo knew he'd probably respond the same way if she was ever in the same situation.

_'Poor baby.'_

_ 'You know, that cloak really suits you. It's nice.'_

_ 'I didn't think you noticed it. It's new – I figured the old one had gotten a bit too raggedy and it was time for a change. Since when do you notice clothes?'_

_ 'I usually don't, but I notice when you're dressed a bit different since we've been around each other pretty constantly this last month.'_

Argo smiled at that. She'd been so afraid Kirito was going to vanish from her life once her investigation into «Laughing Coffin» began, but he'd stuck around. He had even taken to helping her – searching for information and keeping an ear out for interesting rumors while he was out training. Beyond that, he'd even partied with Argo a few times to help keep her levels up.

She looked over the rest of her messages, noticing with more than a little bit of annoyance how Sophie hadn't yet responded to her messages despite the urgency Argo put into them. Whatever the woman was doing couldn't be more important than stopping «Laughing Coffin».

Briefly she wondered if Sophie had fallen victim to the murder guild, but she pushed the thought away. As much as she disliked the rest of her party, they were competent fighters. Except maybe that new guy, but he wasn't important. The rest would take care of Sophie.

_ 'You're a lot more talkative now than you used to be, you know?' _Argo smiled at the message she'd sent Kirito. It had taken her a whole lot of courage to say it.

_'I guess I enjoy talking to you.' _And Kirito's response had made it all worth it.

Argo knew, deep down, that her crush was probably one-sided. She'd done a bit of digging into Kirito's past. When she discovered that Kirito had joined the «Moonlit Black Cats» and later left the guild for reasons unknown, it had been an incredible shock. The infamous solo player had joined a guild.

It wasn't until she'd heard the rumors of Kirito being seen with another member of the guild – a girl, and a rather pretty one at that – that she realized why Kirito must have left. The relationship probably hadn't worked out in the end, and left Kirito desolate and emotionally depressed for a long time.

One of these days she'd ask him more about it – about the exact reasons he left the guild – but that day was not now. Even so, it was rather odd that she hadn't been able to use any of her contacts to get in touch with any members of the «Moonlit Black Cats». It was almost as if they had disappeared. Since they were a small guild with very few members, nobody had paid much attention to them. If Argo at least had their names, she could track them down, though.

_ 'Take care of yourself Argo. Ultimately, finding «Laughing Coffin» isn't a good enough reason to drive yourself into sickness.'_

"Hey!" Argo snapped out of it, turning around quickly. Lind had raised an arm, gesturing at a nearby alleyway. She narrowed her eyes, feeling her heart begin to race when she thought of who the person could possibly be. It had to be an informant if Lind was meeting in secret.

Argo watched as the cloaked figure entered into the small courtyard. Lind stood, brushing himself down as if self-consciously. The informant was very slender, likely indicating a woman underneath the cloak. Argo shifted uneasily as the two drew near to each other, and every moment brought a gripping fear into her stomach of her that one of the two would see her.

The two walked up to each other, the newcomer saying something to Lind. He responded in kind and the newcomer laughed – a light and feminine sound. So the newcomer was definitely a girl. And the informant was on very good terms with the leader of the «DDA». Argo struggled with her «Listening» skill, only picking up fragments of speech.

Lind was concerned about something. Something about lilies?

Lind leaned towards the newcomer, his lips brushing hers. Argo felt her stomach twist into a knot, the sudden realization sinking in as Lind wrapped his arms tight around the newcomer. Argo stood quickly, blushing and feeling very, very foolish.

She'd followed him on a secret date.

Argo swore to herself, preparing to leave, when a swift motion in the corner of her eye drew her attention. The newcomer swept her hood back, revealing long brown hair and a soft, familiar expression. Argo stared, standing clear on the rooftop of the building – in plain sight if either of the lovebirds had bothered to look – and went numb.

The girl smiled at him, punching Lind playfully in the arm and interlocking hers with his. Together they strolled away from Argo towards one of the far alleyways. As they walked, the girl leaned her head on Lind's shoulder and they continued to talk softly. Rather than a secret information for «Laughing Coffin», she accidentally discovered Lind's secret girlfriend.

Ran, the leader of the «Sleeping Knights».

* * *

**Lyra – Floor 50 – January 29, 2024 – 13:37**

She glanced over her messages, keeping one finger alighted over David's name. The last message was from December, a mundane little message about dinner than she had never responded to. She sighed, closing the menu and staring across the table.

Hikari glowered into her pasta bowl, absently pushing the virtual meatballs back and forth with her fork. A strand of hair fell over the girl's ear and Hikari ignored it. Around them, the empty restaurant seemed to mock their awkward silence.

It was a dirty, small place with very little in the way of ornamentation. Occasionally she saw the owner – a short and fat NPC with a bad attitude – moving around near the back of the restaurant, near the kitchen. Wooden stools and tables sat on bare dirt floors, and the rafters hadn't even been concealed. Spider webs hung freely from them, and there seemed to be a permanent layer of dust on everything in sight.

"You ever gonna eat?" Lyra leaned back in her rickety chair, listening to it creak. This particular restaurant was a shallow dive compared to where she'd prefer to eat, but the bigger-name places were filled with players. The chances of someone recognizing them were much higher, especially now that Klein and Yuuki knew the two of them were on the floor.

"Well?" Lyra pressed, but the woman said nothing. "For god's sake, if you don't eat your food, Hikari, I'm gonna feed it to you."

Hikari glanced up at her briefly before pushing the bowl to the side and laying her head on the table. Lyra bit her lip, suddenly ashamed of her outburst. It was already usual of Hikari to eat very little and say even less. Sometimes she found herself wondering why the woman stuck with Lyra.

"Hikari," Lyra started. A thought worked through her head; it was something she'd put off talking about for a long time now. "You're thinking about the people in the main courtyard, aren't you?"

Hikari nodded, and Lyra felt her stomach lurch. They were a group of «Whitewood Watch» members who had been waving signs and calling for volunteers for the past few days. Rumors had been crawling in lately about their guild suffering losses at the hands of «Laughing Coffin», and Lyra held little doubts they were looking for people to bring the fight to them.

"Well, you know how I feel about you running off to join them," Lyra said with more than a slight concerned inflection. "Bounty hunters are murderers. Just because their cursors are green doesn't make them good people. I know we've been trying a bit to track down «Laughing Coffin» on our own, but that doesn't mean we need–"

"They're being led by Pollux," Hikari said, sliding her head down into her hands again.

Lyra paused from hearing the name. He was the other survivor, Hikari's former guildmate who helped popularize «Laughing Coffin» after his guild had been destroyed. The two had never met up since then, though Hikari had been aware of his survival for a while.

"Even so…"

"Is it murder if it's retribution, Lyra?" Hikari glared up at her. "Is it criminal if they exact justice?"

Lyra opened her mouth to retort, but fell silent. After a long moment, she finally responded.

"I don't know."

"I don't really know either," Hikari shrugged. "There's a lot of things I don't know how to feel about." She paused, then mumbled, "You remind me of her."

"I'm not Sierra," Lyra said, wary of the way the conversation might turn. It wasn't the first time Hikari had mentioned it, and Lyra had never been sure how to handle it.

"No, you aren't," Hikari lifted her head, staring at Lyra for a long moment. She swallowed as if holding back some upwelling of emotion but said nothing more.

"Hikari," Lyra said. "This isn't right. I don't want you to run off to join some bounty hunting gang, especially not–"

"–especially not if you're afraid I'm gonna off myself if you look away for a moment?" Hikari smirked, her face a mask of empty sarcasm.

"That's not what I meant," Lyra said, and Hikari sighed, looking away.

"I'm sorry. You've done a lot for me," Hikari shook her head. "You shouldn't feel obligated to hang around me simply because you're worried about me. If you want to leave me, then leave me."

"I'm not going to do that to you," Lyra insisted, surprised by how quickly and easily she said. "I can't just leave a friend who needs help."

"You don't need to care," Hikari laid her head down again.

Lyra sighed, leaning back in her chair. They were silent for a long while.

"Eat your pasta, Hikari," Lyra finally said again. "Or I swear to god, I'm gonna force-feed you."

It was about an hour later that they were back on the city streets again. Lyra ran through a list in her head of things they had to do for the day while Hikari trudged on along beside her, staring at the ground. They had to repair their weapons, visit a «Monster Hunter Association», and find a few repeatable quests to work on while they grinded levels and run a number of other small errands Lyra wasn't exactly thrilled about doing. Their hoods were up to prevent anyone recognizing them, but Lyra kept her head down anyway.

They were walking through the town center when Hikari grabbed her sleeve. It was a wide circle with the floor teleporter in the direct center, and there were many people walking in and out of the popular shops that lined the edges of the town center. Players set up stalls to peddle their goods and NPCs wandered about giving quests. It was the place with the largest amount of traffic in the town, and the bustle was expected.

"Look, Lyra," Hikari pointed towards the edge of the central square of «Algade». Several men dressed in armor the colors of white, silver and gold were shouting and waving their arms. A few waved signs saying things like 'Down with Laughing Coffin' or 'Take Action Now!' "That's them."

The bounty hunters.

One particularly large member was holding up a painted sign saying 'Join the Fight!' in bright bold letters. Hikari was already pulling away from her, weaving through the crowd towards the clearers. Lyra felt a surge of uncertainty and rushed after her. Why was she going to them now? Lyra grimaced.

Hikari was being rash.

"Hello," A wide, grim face stared down at Hikari as Lyra rushed to her side. "Looking to join up?"

Lyra froze up next to Hikari and looked around the group of people slowly. The crowds of the central courtyard had made a conscious decision to avoid the clearers, and there was a small, clear bubble in front of the four or so people standing around with their signs.

"Dunno yet," Hikari said. "Depends on what you're looking for."

"Good fighters with level heads and a need for justice to be done," the big man said, folding his arms. "We're going to do what the rest of the clearers won't: exact bloody revenge on «Laughing Coffin»."

"You think you guys are up to the task, huh?" Hikari looked at them, mentally working through something. Lyra clenched her fists. "Any of you actually fight «Laughing Coffin» before?"

"All of us, at some point or another," the big man said. "The one who put this group together when our guild leader refused to act was there when «Laughing Coffin» slaughtered the «Eternal Brotherhood». He was one of only two survivors."

"Why recruit people on the street?" Hikari asked.

"We've all got dead friends or family we want to see avenged," the man explained. "But our guild leader, Surrey, decided that bringing the fight to the murderers was unwise. While most of the «Whitewood Watch» agreed, we begged to differ. We're taking… unauthorized action."

"You're pretty much creating a big 'look at me' sign for «Laughing Coffin»."

"We need more people on our side," the big man replied, shrugging as he did so. Hikari stared at him for a while considering it. Lyra could tell what was going through Hikari's head at the moment. The bounty hunters were both brave and fool-hearty, but that was exactly how a mind twisted around revenge worked. Lyra knew Hikari would sympathize.

"Do you know of the «Sunset Swordsman», one of the «Laughing Coffin» members?" Hikari asked, her eyes narrowing. Lyra felt her throat tighten. David. "Katana swordsman with blood red armor."

"Can't say I do," the man shook his head. "You got a grudge that needs repaid? We get a lot of sympathetic remarks and not a lot of helping hands. We've spent three days standing out in the Algade courtyard all day and few have joined our cause."

"When you say 'bringing the fight to «Laughing Coffin»'," Hikari's voice felt darker, "what precisely do you mean? Beating a few of them up or writing strongly worded letters isn't going to change anything."

"Of course not," the man shook his head. "We're going to kill as many of the bastards we get our hands on."

Lyra felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle as the man's empty expression locked with Hikari's. Both people stared at each other, and Lyra could feel a sense of kindred pass between them both. Two people who had lived through loss. It was all the more odd that the two wore the same expression – empty yet determined – despite one being a massive European man with a thick beard and the other a petite Asian woman barely past the five-foot mark.

"I think you need to take me to see your leader," Hikari said. Lyra grabbed her wrist, opening her mouth to say something, but Hikari started first. "Lyra, I'm not joining up for sure. I just figured I should talk to the man and see what the full deal is. I'm not gonna do anything off-handed."

"These men are bounty hunters," Lyra as she pulled Hikari to the side. "We've talked about this. They can't be sane, or stable, or…"

Hikari coughed a raspy laugh.

"Sounds like I'll fit right in."

It was a long while of waiting while the big man – who later introduced himself as Maximus – confirmed with their leader about letting Hikari meet him. Since she was apparently one of only a handful of people who expressed interest in joining, it was allowed relatively easily. Lyra kept a tight grip on Hikari's hand as they were led through winding alleyways and the close quarters of the maze-like town. Their guide was woman who looked to be in her early thirties whose expression was distant and unfocused half of the time, like she was walking through a dream.

Surprisingly, Hikari's hand gripped Lyra's as well, and she felt the woman shaking slightly as the alleyways became darker and narrower as they were led into the outer reaches of the town.

The small building they finally arrived at didn't look like much in passing – if Lyra and Hikari had walked by it before, there was no way they'd remember it. Bland clay walls and unornamented windows opened up into the narrow walkway in front of it. No players or NPCs passed by, and Lyra was certain they were fairly close to the city walls.

Once there, the woman rapped sharply on the door and a thin NPC opened it. Lyra and Hikari entered into a fairly bare entryway, where a couple of bland and ancient-looking decorations hung on the walls. Their guide disappeared past the doorway, leaving the two women alone in the hall.

"You're seriously considering joining up with them?" Lyra asked as she began to pace along the far wall. Hikari didn't say anything. "Hikari, these people want blood. Have you heard the news lately about the «Whitewood Watch»? These_ bounty hunters_–" she spat the words, "–are looking to murder members of «Laughing Coffin». You can't–"

"I can do whatever I want, Lyra," Hikari snapped at her, but then stopped herself, sighing. "I'm grateful for everything you've done for me in the past month, but I am seriously considering this. There've been many nights I've dreamed the many ways I can kill that damn red-soaked swordsman, and uncountably more where I've woken up in a cold panic, reimagining what happened or seeing him coming for me next."

"Throwing yourself into a group like this isn't going to help you," Lyra pressed. "I–"

The door swung open and the mid-thirties woman presented herself again to the two players. She motioned for them to follow and they did. The interior of the house was as equally drab as the exterior and the entryway, but it was a bit brighter, illuminated by many different candles that hung from cold grey sconces along the walls. The floors, while wooden, may as well have been cold cement or dirt from how little light they added to the rooms.

Their destination was an office room that was tucked near the back of the building. They were led into the room only for their guide to duck out and away, closing the door softly behind her. Lyra tensed up as she heard the door click shut.

A man sat in a chair in front of them, tilted so that she could only see the sides of his face. He stared into the fireplace, a long scimitar laid across his lap. Medium length blonde hair fell over his half-obscured face as he turned to look at them.

The month had not been kind to Pollux. Lyra recalled the early pictures of him put out in the various newspapers in early January. Sometime since then, his cheeks had become sunken and his face pallid and weak. Large bags hung under his eyes and his expression was cold and empty.

He stood slowly and turned towards them, his cold expression falling away into shock as he saw Hikari. The young woman stared back, but Lyra could see her face was a mask of false strength. Her lower lip quivered as Pollux and Hikari stared at each other.

"So it was you that survived, Hikari," Pollux said finally, his voice cautious and uncertain. "I knew there was another survivor, but there was no way of knowing for sure if it was you. I–" He choked up, stepping forward, "–I'm so sorry, Hikari. Sierra, she…"

Pollux stepped forward, the big blonde man wrapped Hikari into a bear hug. Hikari's eyes widened with surprise for just a moment, but only just. She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around Pollux as well. For a long moment, the two old friends stood there, embracing each other. Lyra looked around the room awkwardly, unsure what to do with herself. Finally, Pollux pulled away.

"Why didn't you respond to any of my messages?" Pollux asked, his hands on Hikari's shoulders. "I sent so many, hoping and praying that I would get a response. And now you show up, and I don't even know what to say."

Hikari shrugged, her voice quaking as her eyes watering. "I never knew how to answer."

Pollux hugged her again, and when they pulled away, Pollux had tears in his eyes as well.

"It's okay now," he said, smiling. "It's okay."

Hikari shook her head, and when she responded, her voice had dropped, becoming hard. Lyra folded her arms subconsciously, feeling the decision that had already been made. A decision that had been made the moment Hikari had spotted Maximus, but one that had only been realized at this very moment. She felt her heart hurt more than it should have, watching the girl stare up at Pollux with fire in her expression.

"You formed a band of vengeance-seekers, huh?" Hikari said, her voice on the edge of breaking. "Well, I've got a bone to pick with «Laughing Coffin», so I hope you've got room for one more."

"Aye," Pollux nodded. "There's always room for one more."

* * *

**David – Floor 50 – January 30, 2024 – 15:52**

"There," Lux pointed out across the vibrant field of flowers. "Do you see her? Light metal armor and a sword? Cropped hair?"

"Yeah, I see her," David grumbled. The woman had decided to make the ring trade-off in one of the very few locations of the floor that wasn't covered in deep forest. The «Meadow of Memories», it was called. Algade was only a short distance away. The kill would have to be quick, lest they attract unwanted attention.

"And him?"

"Our shill," David pointed at the small-framed and handsome man walking over to the target. He brushed some blonde hair out of his face as he extended his hand towards the woman their target. They shook briefly, chatting about nothing David could make out.

"Really? Him?" Lux was unimpressed. "He's so… puny."

"Lyle is probably one of the best, actually," David smirked at her, bemused by her lack of knowledge. "And he's considerably more motivated by money than many of the other information brokers. Probably why he's working with PoH."

"So he's crooked."

"As much as any of us are."

For a while they were silent, observing the scene. A thousand scenarios moved through David's mind, but the plan shone above it all.

"Here, take this," Lux nudged him, holding out a sheathed dagger. One of hers.

"Why?" David cocked an eyebrow.

"In case things get personal for you," Lux shrugged. David took the weapon, strapping the dagger to his belt.

David motioned towards the far edge of the meadow and Lux moved off, snaking through the trees and underbrush of the meadow's border easily. Her orange cursor disappeared as her «Stealth» skill activated and David lost sight of her.

Keeping his eyes on the ongoing exchange between Lyle and the swordswoman. PoH's description of the job had included the woman's name, but he could barely remember it. He had stated that she was in possession of a very powerful ring and that they'd been hired to kill her by someone close to the woman.

As her discussion with Lyle continued – haggling over price, from what he could tell – David slipped his skull-mask over his head. The soon-to-be victim was young – probably mid-twenties, making her only a bit older than David was himself. She had a mature charm that came with that age that spoke of youth tempered with experience, of a life only just beginning to blossom.

He drew his sword.

David kept himself creeping along the edge of the clearing, moving in the opposite direction as Lux was. His «Stealth» skill wasn't the highest skill, but it was enough to get around most players not actively searching for assailants.

"Griselda, please, you're being unreasonable." He overheard a snippet of their conversation. Lyle had his hands out, pleading in a very un-businesslike way. David found himself smirking at that – the man was faking being a worse negotiator than he was.

"«Golden Apple» worked hard for this ring," Griselda had her hands on her hips, staring at Lyle with a calm weight. "I simply cannot sell it for that low."

David shook his head. Lyle had likely set an initial price extremely low to make his next price seem more reasonable. What did it even matter? His only job was to get the ring off the woman to make Lux's execution easier.

Lux's execution.

David felt himself clench his fists unconsciously. He willed the disgusted impulse away. This was his life now.

He moved out of earshot of the two, his footsteps barely making a sound as he moved through short green shrubs and bright, vibrant flowers. The oak forest towered around him, but the trees here were of a reasonable, manageable size. There were no giant trees here.

David found a decent spot nearest to the two main paths out of the meadow and hopped into the low-hanging branches of a nearby oak. With Lux on the other side of the clearing, Griselda wouldn't be able to slip away in time before at least one of them getting to her. He climbed.

The upper branches of the oak were oddly comforting. He was surrounded on all sides by greenery and the soft sounds of birds and insects. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine himself back home, sitting in that tall monkeypod tree his father never wanted him to climb. They would have built a treehouse, but the damn species of tree had a tendency to break off its own branches when under stress.

The wind brushing his face was almost like the real world.

He found his mind beginning to wander. What would Lyra have thought of his mother, his father? What would his family have thought of her? They were questions that might never be answered, but David found himself asking them regardless. His thoughts turned more to the real world.

All of the mundane facets of his life were now cast in light – how it would feel again to turn a key in the door to his apartment, or order a pizza, or sit in a lecture hall and fall asleep? The struggle to pay the bills each month, to keep himself ahead in school, to make something of himself – now that it had been torn from him, what did it all really mean?

"Where is Heaven, David?" He asked himself, stretching his arm up in front of him, his eyes still closed.

A hand locked around his.

"I'm glad you're still asking that question."

David's eyes shot open. Lux crouched on the branch in front of him, smiling up at him. Her expression was mixed between mischief and joy. Creases formed at the corners of her eyes, and the sight was almost radiant.

No, it wasn't Lux. Lux wouldn't smile like that. Then…

"Emilia?" The girl cocked her head. Briefly David's eyes shot up above her head. No cursor, even though cursors were set to display. Not an NPC and not a player.

"Is that the long version of Emi?" the girl asked, a quizzical expression on her face. She grinned. "We met before like this, but in the courtyard full of people. You didn't seem so tired then, and the darkness under your eyes wasn't quite so deep."

"What do you want?" David drew his legs back in, slowly moving to a crouching position. Behind Emi he could see Griselda and Lyle in the meadow through the break in the trees, still haggling. It looked like they might be wrapping up soon, but he couldn't be sure.

"Just thought I'd stop by," the girl said, shrugging.

"I'm busy, girl. Go away." David couldn't explain why, but looking into her bright blue eyes made his skin crawl. He wanted her gone, but he found he had no power to remove her. Instead her presence bored into him, more and more painful after each moment.

"Oh, you're not any fun."

"I'm not in the mood to entertain a little girl," David folded his arms.

"The others I appeared before," the girl spoke, her voice distant, "are all dead now. Yūta was scared, begging and pleading and crying and screaming. Then the Griffon took him and he was silent. Sierra was tall and proud, powerful and kind, but you ended that quite handily. And now you–"

"What?" David felt a numbness he couldn't describe. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I just get a feeling – as much as I can, at least – that you and I are very similar," Emilia said, her expression suddenly sad. "You are in pain, and I can see where that path will lead you, much as it has led PoH and so many others."

"PoH?"

"Few intend to fall," Emi stood as David did, and for a while they both stared at each other.

"Well?" David grumbled. "What did you want?"

"David," Emi stared at him. "I… There is a memory. In a bath of blood and fire, in the land of whiteness and long nights, you defended someone. I want to understand why I see it, the memory that isn't mine. David, you need to tell me. Who did you save?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," David said slowly, the hair on the back of his neck rising at the _weirdness _of her. She stood alight on the thin portion of the tree branch in front of her, a brown dress fluttering in the light breeze. Her expression was both empty and not, as if she could not begin to decide between feeling nothing and feeling everything.

"I am mistaken, then," the girl said. "Perhaps XaXa will prove more fruitful."

"XaXa?" David shook a growing unease away. "Enough," David looked past her, to where Griselda was leaving Lyle behind. The man was shrugging, a light smile on his face. Did he fail to obtain the ring? "I'm not here to have some girl play games with me. Go away."

He jumped from the tree, landing silently among the underbrush. When he looked back up into the trees, the girl was already gone. He stared overlong at the spot where she was standing before, struggling to make sense of the odd conversation.

He pushed aside the feelings of uncertainty, moving towards the road he saw Griselda walking to. He had a job to do, and it wouldn't do if Lux got there first.

It was David's job to make the kill.

A few moments later, he stepped out of the forest and onto the thin path back to the city limits. He felt Griselda freeze up more than he saw it – it was the instinctual reaction people had when confronted by an orange player. David drew his katana, staring down Griselda. The woman's shock faded quickly, and she placed a firm hand on her short sword.

"And now it all makes sense," Griselda chuckled. "This whole arrangement had been suspect. Lyle insisting on meeting me out in the field for fear of robbers in town, and his obscenely high bidding for this ring right after a stupidly low price. Good thing I didn't sell it, or I might have been in trouble."

Davd shrugged. "I'll keep that in mind next time. I had thought the man was at least capable at playing the part of the merchant."

Now that Griselda was in front of him, David suddenly found himself caught in a sudden bout of emotion. She had shoulder-length brown hair and very Japanese features. Reinforced leather armor clung to her – it wasn't top-tier stuff, but it would stop a blade if it needed to. Though she was certainly no twin, her resemblance to Lyra was uncanny.

Then again, maybe he just saw her in everyone.

"So?" Griselda's sword was half drawn as she spoke. "What do we do now?"

"Hand over the ring and I'll let you go," David lied.

"We both know that isn't going to happen." Griselda drew her sword.

Her first strike was almost too fast for him to follow, her blade driving him back a step. He twisted with the impact, moving out of range of a second strike. Griselda's face twisted in a satisfied smirk when she noticed David's temporary panic.

"That's a damn good ring," David shrugged. "And you're not a pushover, which is nice."

"Used to killing weaklings?"

"A bit."

David lunged, slashing upwards. Griselda easily danced about the blade. She half-twisted, knocking his blade away and jumping in before David could pull the katana back. Griselda slammed her shield into David's chest, knocking him heavily in the chest. A crossed out symbol of lungs appeared in the top left corner of his screen, indicating that he was winded. David growled, pulling back as Griselda straightened herself.

David pointed his katana at her, searching for an opening in her stance. She leaned slightly to left, he noticed, but he wasn't sure how to use that just yet. Years of sword-fighting practice had taught him how to read his opponent's movements, and the past year of playing in SAO had taught him everything his practice had avoided. How to maim. How to kill. But Griselda's form was rough yet effective. Before the game, she – like most people – had probably never lifted a weapon of any kind. Even so, she was confident and effective.

The second ring on her left hand glinted in the filtered sunlight of the tree-covered road. David hazarded a glance backwards, checking for anyone coming down the road. Nobody. Good. But he didn't know how long that would last. He had to kill this woman quickly.

"You're hesitating, swordsman," Griselda called. "Didn't your band of thieves and murderers teach you not to stall in a mortal struggle?"

"You're quite the confident one," David said through his skull mask, still searching for an opening. She leaned slightly to the right, and all of her movements so far had her spinning to her right. Why was she avoiding planting her weight on her left side? "Your husband must be ecstatic he married a lively woman."

'Not really," Griselda barked a laugh, and she glanced towards the side of the road. "Actually, he–"

David didn't wait for her to finish. He raced in, his katana slashing in from his left. At the moment before their swords clashed, he feinted, spinning around to Griselda's left. She turned, struggling to block his real strike, but she wasn't fast enough. David's blade wrapped under hers, forcing it up and to the side with a sweeping motion. He stepped in, his free hand striking her just under her ribs. The blow landed solid and heavy, and Griselda grunted as she bolted forward, escaping him.

She would have been able to avoid that with her high-AGI ring, David thought.

"Y-You didn't–" Griselda coughed heavily, eyeing David as she winced, "–let me finish, you bastard."

"Very well," David had a clear vantage of the road behind Griselda now that they'd switch positions. He relaxed, confident no one was coming down the road just yet. "What did you have to say?"

"Oh, now you're being courteous?"

"Felt I should be polite." David shrugged. He smiled under his skull mask, but stopped when he realized the woman likely couldn't see it.

"As I was saying, before I was so _rudely_ interrupted," Griselda started, and they began to circle each other – to her right, David couldn't help but notice – slowly, "I'm on rather poor terms with my husband at the moment. I love him dearly, but he's quite controlling. You call me lively as a compliment, and I thank you for that, but he doesn't quite enjoy that."

"More's the pity," David shrugged, and lunged. His katana locked with her shortsword near the base of the blades, and for a moment the two struggled mere inches apart. David released himself from the parry, sweeping one foot out. Griselda stumbled, but kept her footing.

"I know!" Griselda complained as she straightened herself. "He just doesn't understand why I'm not content running a bakery or keeping a house in this game."

She swung her blade overhead at him, then spun as David lifted his katana to parry. The side of her shield slammed into his ribs heavily, and David fell back in surprise. The blunt attack left a bright yellow warning indicating she'd broken ribs.

"If he's so mad," David sidestepped a second strike, twisting around to her left, "why doesn't he keep house or run a bakery? Obviously it's important to him to do so."

"He didn't quite like it when I told him that very thing," Griselda grinned as they locked blades again. "Yelled at me for hours, and eventually I just told him to fuck off."

"Damn." They broke, and David paused, examining the woman for a second before throwing back his head, laughing. Griselda cocked her head for a moment, not quite understanding David's burst of joviality. David slowly wound down and tore off his skull mask, looking straight at Griselda with more than a bit of a smile.

"You're an interesting woman, Griselda," David smiled at her. "I'm not sure if I expected someone in your position to open up to me about her marital problems."

"Oh, it's not the weirdest thing I could do," Griselda smiled back at him, but she kept her sword leveled at David even though his katana had dropped to the ground. "You're a lot younger than I had originally assumed."

"Barely younger than you," David said, shrugging.

"Exactly my point," Griselda said, her expression hardening. "You don't seem like that unpleasant of a guy. Why are you doing this? Robbery; it doesn't suit you."

David shrugged.

"When does your bounty wear off?" Griselda asked.

"Few more days," David felt the words flow from him almost without intending. There was no harm in telling her, he thought.

"Tell you what," Griselda lowered her sword, just slightly. "You put your sword away and I'll make you a deal. My guild is always looking for competent people, and though we're only mid-level right now, our aim is to become clearers. Given time, if you can prove yourself to be trustworthy, you would be a valuable asset to our guild."

"And how would this benefit me?" David asked. To his surprise, he asked the question seriously.

"I'll try my best to protect you until your bounty wears off and I'll help reintegrate you into society if you've been gone too long," Griselda smiled at him, warm and genuine. "I can also keep your past a secret – to the rest of the guildmates, you'll just be a stray cat I picked up off the side of the road. Nobody will know what you've done and nobody will ask, provided you can turn your back to it."

"I–"

"But please don't assume I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart," Griselda continued. "You're a strong player and I fully intend to use you as such. That you seem to possess an agreeable disposition and the fact that I like you is merely icing on the cake. If you can handle that, you're more than welcome into my guild."

David opened his mouth, struggling to speak, but found he had nothing coherent to say. Instead of a clever response or a mean-spirited retort, more simple words rolled off his tongue. "You… like me?"

"Woah, woah," Griselda raised a hand, still smiling. "Easy, loverboy. I'm a married woman, and I just mean that I get the feeling you're a half-way decent individual despite your cursor."

"Ah," David sheathed his katana, his heart suddenly beating fast, the blood rushing in his head.

"So," Griselda smiled and extended a hand. "How about it, partner?"

David stepped forward, hesitantly reaching a hand out. A guild to accept him. A home to go back to. Griselda was easily six inches shorter than he was, but she seemed to tower over his life at that moment, both threatening and welcoming. Warm and accepting. He didn't so much recoil from his fear of her as he reveled in it.

His hand grasped hers, and she smiled.

To his right, a flash of blonde hair in the underbrush. A leveled crossbow.

David sighed, knowing what that meant.

His free hand shot out, grabbing the left side of her torso and swinging one foot behind hers, taking advantage of how she'd refused to put weight on that side this entire time. With the woman letting out a strangled cry, he forced the guild leader to the ground. He straddled her, the weight of his upper body pinning her arms above her head.

With his free hand he drew Lux's dagger.

"Wait," Griselda let out a panicked cry, her eyes wide. "You can't do this, I–"

"That's enough," David shook his head. "You've been favoring your left side. The only time people feel pain in this game is when they're hurt outside of combat. Tell me, Griselda," He narrowed his eyes, "How long has your husband been beating you?"

"I–" Griselda stopped, biting her lip and looking away.

"Nobody is as they appear," David shook his head. "Your own desire of seeing the good in horrible people has made you mistake me as someone looking for redemption, and now you're going to pay the price. You try your hardest to present yourself as strong and confident, because deep down, you really aren't. Your husband had stripped that of you a long time ago."

Tears wet the edges of Griselda's eyes, but she didn't cry out or sob. She merely stared.

"And Griselda," David felt his own eyes water. "This isn't about the ring. Your husband hired us to kill you."

"Why?"

David shrugged.

He drove dagger Lux gave him up under her ribcage, the point of the blade directed towards her heart. Griselda arced her back and opened her mouth at the surprising pain – a side-effect of the poison. He twisted the blade and watched as Lux's poisons took effect. Griselda's eyes grew blank and dull as the hallucinogenic poison entered her system.

"You're not a bad person, Griselda," David said, bringing the dagger up for the final strike. "It was the world that was wrong for doing this to you. I am at fault. Your husband is at fault. But not you.

"Never you."

He drove the blade into her chest, just above the heart, and Griselda cried out. A brief moment before she shattered, they stared at each other, saying nothing. Griselda's expression hardened just before the end, but she didn't speak. The woman sat in judgment of him and David had no response.

A notice popped up in front of him, showing him what items he had earned from killing her.

When it was all over, David found himself on all fours on the paved road, staring at the gap between two stones. Lux walked over to him, her footsteps clacking on the ground as she moved towards him.

"Good work, David," she said simply. "I was honestly worried I was going to have to kill you there." David stood slowly, staring at the girl. He said nothing, and she continued, shouldering her crossbow. "You were going to take her offer, and we both know how that would have worked out for you."

"So that's how you keep me wrapped around your little finger?" David growled. "Threaten me from the shadows in case I do something wrong?"

"You belong in «Laughing Coffin» now," Lux shrugged. "There is no escape."

David stared at her, but said nothing.


	15. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: **I apologize that I haven't been updating frequently. I am still writing, but recent events in my life have made it extremely difficult to do so. Compound that with my already heavy schedule, and you can imagine why updates have been slow coming. As a show of good faith, here's a sample of the next chapter I've been working on. It's a running draft of David's section of the chapter and it may change considerably when I publish the real thing.

* * *

**David – Floor 50 – January 30, 2024 – 16:05**

"Maybe I never knew what pain was," David stood, his eyes still firmly fixed on the ground where Griselda had fallen moments before. "Before all of this," – a haphazard wave of the arm.

He stared at the young blonde girl, her crossbow mounted lazily on her shoulder and her expression hard and callous. The entire way she held herself told him off, as if daring her to say anything back to her.

"So you were going to kill me if I didn't kill Griselda, is that it?" David felt himself tremble internally, focused intently on Lux. He couldn't put words to what he wanted to do. "Pull off a short-distance head-shot on me and finish off Griselda when I go down?"

"You got it."

"Why?"

"You belong to me and to «Laughing Coffin» now, David," Lux dematerialized her crossbow and sheathed a dagger. "You've been walking around questioning everything lately, even making your doubts known to XaXa and the Tank. As much as I like you, I can't have you doing that."

"So, what happens?" David walked towards her. Lux took a slight step back. "Are you going to have your crossbow trained on me every second of the day, just waiting for me to slip up? Do you think you'll really be fast enough _every time_ to muscle me back into my place, Lux?"

"I'll be there when it matters," Lux stood up straight, but she seemed so small as David towered over the fifteen-year-old girl. "Moments like now, when you were ready to hang up your sword and run off with some flirtatious married woman. I don't want –"

"Then you're saying you're a threat."

David's left hand rushed up, grabbing Lux by the neck and forcing her backwards towards the tree. Her head slammed into the tree and David pressed himself against her, using the weight of his entire body to pin her there. Lux gasped, unable to breath as David's hand dug into her throat.

"Griselda didn't need to die!" David shouted, pressing his hand deeper, his fingers digging into the skin around her trachea. Lux couldn't respond, and David couldn't bring himself to lift his head from the ground.

_You killed her, David._ He heard her respond, somehow.

"What did she do to deserve this!?" David screamed.

He twisted, throwing Lux towards the ground and drawing his sword. She slammed against the stone pathway, her crossbow clattering away from her. She coughed and sputtered, struggling to orient herself as David stepped towards her. Her eyes were wide but he could barely see them. Lux was struggling to say something, but he couldn't make it out between her coughing.

He lowered his blade to her neck.

"Let me make something very clear, Lux," David spoke slowly, each word a low rumble to threaten the young girl. "We've known each other for a month. In that time, I believe I've developed a false opinion of you. I thought you were weak. I thought you were innocent," he paused. "I was wrong."

Lux glared up at him, but said nothing. Her neck was beginning to bruise.

"If you want to leave here alive, you need to give me a compelling reason not to avenge Griselda," David leaned forward just enough so the end of his blade poked into her neck. "And you're going to need to convince me why I'm not going to go back to the «Laughing Coffin» camp and slaughter each and every one of them. And then, when I'm done murdering those bastards," David narrowed his eyes, but found he couldn't continue speaking. What would he do?

Lux coughed out a laugh, her smile wide and furious.

"I'll give you a compelling reason," Lux's voice shook with fear, but she kept herself together. "You talk, but you won't act. You brandish your blade and threaten all you like, but it doesn't change the fact th-that y-you're–" she started to stammer "–t-too soft h-hearted to do anything dangerous."

"You really want to test that?"

Leaves blew along the stone path through the forest as the two stared each other down. David, with sword bare and threatening, felt the rage and swirl of emotion within him. But then, a sudden drag of desperation.

"This wasn't what was supposed to happen," David felt his sword fall slightly as he spoke. "When I put the NerveGear on for the first time, the only thing I expected was to spend a few hours enjoying a new world."

"Nobody knew to expect this," Lux spoke cautiously as David dropped the blade further.

"Kayaba has made a murderer of me."

"You killed people before, back when you were a thief," Lux was getting to her feet, but she didn't make a move for her weapons. "Why is it so different now? Why can't you handle it anymore?"

"I never killed them directly," David said. "I was detached from it, and I blocked it out. I blocked everything out, justifying it through the money I obtained from it."

"And now?"

"There is no justification," David raised his blade again to Lux's throat again and the girl stiffened, her eyes widening. She was trapped and they both knew it. One flick of the wrist, and her life would end. One wrong word. A single misstep.

"So you would kill if you had a reason?" Lux ventured.

"Yes," David's response was so immediate he found himself struggling to comprehend his acceptance of it.

"Would you kill if you knew there would be no consequences?" Lux clenched her fists. It was the question that really mattered to her, David knew. "Like right now, you could slit my throat and go back to the rest of our party, lying that Griselda had killed me. Nobody would question you, especially since Lyle can back up your story by saying he failed to obtain her ring."

"I…" David couldn't respond.

"David," Lux's expression softened. Gone was the sneer of contempt from before.

"If you're going to leave here alive, you have to do something for me, Lux," David's hand was shaking. "And if I find out you went behind my back and went against my wishes, I swear to god I'll… I'll –" He couldn't finish the sentence.

"Well," Lux coughed out a laugh. "I don't really have a choice about it, do I? What do you want?"

"You're going to quit «Laughing Coffin». When you go green again, you're going to rejoin the rest of society and become a normal, functioning member of society. Join a clearing guild. Settle down and run a shop. Just…" David's voice caught for a moment, "…stay away from this life. Go and be normal, please."

She paused, her mouth hanging open. Whatever it was that she had expected him to demand of her, it wasn't this. After a long while, she relaxed.

"You're so stuck on me being innocent," Lux spoke softly. She brushed away his blade and David let it drop. "Why can't you see that isn't who I am? I…" She seized up for a moment, struggling to continue speaking. "I can't just go back to a regular life any more than you can, you know?"

"Yes, you can."

"Just because you will it won't make it so," Lux stepped towards him. "But you're not giving me a choice, are you?"

"I'll tell the others you're dead, that Griselda killed you," David's blade was trailing on the ground now. Lux stood in front of him, looking up at him with a watery, uncertain gaze. "Lux–"

"So you beat me up, threaten to kill me, and then demand that I leave and make a life for myself?" Lux spoke slowly and quietly. "Do you have any idea how fucked up you are? Anybody would look at this and think you belong in prison, or something."

"Maybe I do."

"I…" Lux looked down. "No matter what you do, don't die. I want to see you again."

"I…" David smiled at her. "I won't die."

"Promise me."

"I promise."

And just like that, Lux was gone, disappearing into the underbrush of the forest. It would still be another day before her cursor would turn green again, but she could last that long, he was certain of it. After that, she would be free. She could enjoy life among the regular players again, so long as she kept her head down and didn't attract any attention.

David sheathed his katana, walking towards the clearing where Lyle would be waiting to obtain Griselda's ring from him.

Aimless and lost, his steps faded into the forest around him.


End file.
